Snowbound
by Beth - Geek Chick
Summary: Re-post by request. Annie, Auggie, Stu, Jai and a couple others find themselves stranded at HQ during a blizzard.


Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Annie slid her car into park, the slight movement causing her bruised side to remind her that she should take it easy for at least a few days. Soon, she told herself. Just a few hours of report writing, intel dropping off, and she would head home for the weekend, and possibly Monday and Tuesday if she could talk Joan into giving her a few days off.  
>Her most recent mission – meeting a mark, exchanging intel, returning home – had run into a snag when said mark became nervous and attacked her. Had she not been already on edge and ready, she knew her body would be hurt a lot worse than what she figured was bruised ribs and a wrenched knee.<p>

After making sure she had the intel she came for, she hightailed it out of there, hopped and plane and flew back to Dulles. She'd left her car in short term parking and came straight to headquarters.

When she exited her car, she took note of the darkening gray clouds and cold wind. February in DC was not the most welcoming of seasons, she thought to herself. And, she also noted, her coworkers had probably taken advantage of the Friday afternoon and bad weather to head home early. The parking lot was half-empty, and she saw a few people walking out to their cars.

Must be nice, she thought bitterly. She still had a few hours of debriefing to get through before she could even think of doing the same. Bypassing the bullpen once she'd entered the DPD, she went straight to an empty conference room to write out her report. The sooner she got it done, the sooner she could get home.

Auggie listened to the weather report one more time before clicking off his Bluetooth. It hadn't changed in the last hour. Winter storm warning. High winds, lots of snow, low temperatures. He'd be calling in his car service and taking Joan's offer to leave early – like the rest of the office had done – but he hadn't heard from Annie yet, and he refused to relax and retire for the weekend until he knew she was okay.

When she'd checked in from the airport before departing, she said she got the intel and got in a fight. He tried to pull more details from her, but she sounded tired and said her plane was boarding. So he waited. He knew the flight had already landed, and he knew she was on it. The one thing he didn't know was where she was right now. He thought that maybe she'd headed straight for home, but SOP required checking in at headquarters after a mission, and Annie had never skipped such a protocol.

He'd kept his office door open, and his ears were tuned for the sound of her heels, her voice, anything. He'd even asked the odd passing person if they'd seen her, but no one had.

Two hours later, Annie had her report nearly done and decided to call it a day. Her body was longing to lie down, her head was pounding and wanting aspirin, and her constitution was begging for a stiff drink. She could get all that done at her home, and she left the conference room headed to her desk to file the report. She'd finalize it and turn it into Joan on Monday.

She'd just gotten to her desk when Auggie's voice rang out. Considering how empty and quiet the office was, she jumped and shrieked.

"Annie!"

"Ahh! Auggie, what the hell?" she yelled, rounding a bit too quickly on him. Her throbbing knee protested, and her discolored side berating her for the fast movement.

Auggie rushed out of his office and up to her, then caught himself as he almost wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Where have you been?" he asked.

"Out of the country, don't you remember? You were on the phone with me," she said, dropping down in her chair.  
>"I know that," Auggie said with a smirk. "I meant, where have you been since then?"<p>

"Writing up my report," she replied. "Wanted some peace and quiet, so I snagged an empty conference room. Though," she added, glancing around her at the empty desks, "Maybe I could have just stayed out here. Did everybody leave early?"

"Haven't you been listening to the radio? There's snow forecasted."

"Auggie, it's the middle of winter in the Northeast. Snow is always coming or going," she said.

"Winter storm warning," Auggie said. "Blizzard conditions, high winds, feet of snow predicted, and plummeting temperatures. Joan and the rest of the directors gave the okay for anyone not engaged in an active mission the okay to leave."

"Oh," Annie said, remembering back to the empty parking lot. "Well, I guess I'd better get going, unless – oh, no."

"What is it?"

Annie hadn't looked outside in the few hours since she'd walked in, but the unusual brightness outside the windows along the far wall made her heart sink. Standing up, she walked over to them, her heart falling further in her chest. "Oh, no, it's started already."

"Yeah, they said the edge of it would reach us an hour ago. That's why I was worried for you. I thought maybe you'd gotten stuck at the airport or something."

Though Annie had lived in the area for a bit and driven in bad weather, what she saw before her caused her heart rate to speed up at the prospect of attempting the drive home through it. The wind turned the snow into near whiteout conditions, and her small car, even with snow tires, wasn't very well equipped for severe winter weather driving.  
>She saw her car – or at least what she could still see of it – sitting in the almost empty parking lot, several inches of snow already on it. Given how nearly everyone had left already, she knew the road crews probably wouldn't be hurrying to clear it off.<p>

"Umm, did the weather service say how long it's going to snow?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
>Auggie joined her at the window. "At least until tomorrow," he said. "But now that you're done, you can start heading out, and I can call my car service."<p>

"No, I won't, and no, you won't, either."

"I was afraid of that. How bad is it?"

"Whiteout. My car's covered. Even if I could drive in these conditions, it'd take me a while to clear my car off, and by that time, the roads would have gotten worse."

Annie turned around and leaned against the window ledge, not wanting to look at the bleak landscape anymore. "I have a feeling we're stuck here."

Auggie dropped his head. "I'm sorry, Annie."

"No, it's okay. One more night away from home won't kill me," she said. "But wait a minute, why didn't you head home earlier? If you knew this was going to happen?"

"Umm, I – well, I didn't plan on becoming snowbound, but I was waiting for you to check in," Auggie explained.  
>Annie's face softened at his words. "Oh, I'm sorry, Auggie. I didn't know you were waiting for me. The only things I was worried about was filing my report and getting home to soak in a hot bath."<p>

"Plus ou said you got hurt," Auggie said, taking a step toward her. "How bad is it?"

Reaching out a hand to his arm, Annie gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Nothing a couple of aspirin and a stiff drink won't cure." A look at his face, and Annie knew he wasn't convinced. "Really, Auggie, I've been hurt worse. My side's bruised, and I think I wrenched my knee."

"And you think a couple of aspirin will take care of it, huh?" Auggie said, frowning. He knew she was tough, and he agreed that she had been hurt worse in the past, but he couldn't help but worry for her. "Come on, Annie, it's me. You don't have to act so tough. What happened?"

Jai Wilcox strode down the hallway, his shoes echoing in the mainly deserted building. Like everyone else in the government building, he'd heard the storm warnings, but unlike everyone else, he didn't panic. His expert driving skills coupled with an SUV that could plow through a foot of snow with no problem were his saving grace, and he'd been able to finish up on his work at a normal pace without any rush.

He was nearing the exit and pulled his coat on, pulling up his collar and pulling out his gloves. When he'd looked up, he was surprised to see someone – a woman, in fact – standing at the glass doors, looking out.

Jennifer Barnes' hopes were slowly dashing as she watched the snow grow thicker and heavier as the time passed. Damn it, she thought. Why didn't she just drive her own car to work today instead of allowing Derek to drop her off? Or, to be more precise, why hadn't he joined her? They both worked as weapons analysts for the CIA, but sometimes Jennifer wondered why he bothered at all. He'd called off sick today, using up the last of his hours, though she knew his health was perfect.

It was something she'd never do, and she pointed it out to him as he dropped her off. He'd just laughed and made a sarcastic remark. When the storm warning and edict to leave early came across a couple of hours ago, she'd called him to ask him to pick her up, but she had a feeling he wasn't hurrying.

"Waiting for someone?" Jai asked, buttoning up his coat as he approached the tall, brunette woman scowling out at the snow.

"Yes, my ride," Jennifer replied. "I called him a couple of hours ago, but –"

"It's getting rather bad out there, maybe you could try him again?" Jai said, allowing his quick, analytical gaze to take her in. She was nearly his height, and her shoes only added an inch. Form-fitting blazer with a red blouse and slacks, and a black wool coat thrown over her arms as they were crossed in front of her. Jai thought he had at least seen or met every beautiful woman in the building, but this one must have escaped him.

"I did. It went to voicemail."

There was something about her voice that caused Jai to pause. An edge that denoted a touch of sadness, bitterness and anger. "If you don't live too far, I could perhaps give you a ride. This snow is no match for my SUV."

Jennifer looked over at him, wondering at his intent. She, of course, knew who he was. The gossip alone about the CIA prince, Jai Wilcox, was enough to give her pause. "That's very nice of you, Mr. Wilcox, but I don't think Derek would appreciate my accepting a ride from you."

And with that one sentence, Jai found himself flattered, intrigued, and slightly angered. Since the three emotions warred with each other, he settled on the first one. "Please, call me Jai. And you are?" he asked, extending a hand toward her.

Jennifer clasped his, though after a second, wished she hadn't as the warmth from his hand extended up her arm. "Jennifer Barnes."

"Jennifer. I thought I'd met every beautiful woman in the building. I'm pleased to be wrong. Tell me, what department do you work for?"

Rolling her eyes, Jennifer tried to hide the slight blush that came at his compliment. She also tried to make her voice sound uninterested and casual as she answered, "Weapons analyst."

"Wow, impressive," he said, his smile widening. "Are you sure I can't offer you a lift? It's only going to get worse the longer you wait."

Jennifer wanted to say yes. Hell, she just wanted to get home for the weekend and out of the office, out of her suit and toe-pinching shoes. "I'm sure he's on his way. And if I wasn't here when he arrived, he'd have driven out in the snow for nothing."

Jai wasn't sure where the next words came from, but he heard them leave his mouth. "Then I guess I'll wait with you."

Stu Heatherton took a deep breath as he hung up the phone. He'd caught a last minute brush-pass handler mission that morning and thought he'd be done by noon talking his officer through the op. But it seemed Murphy's Law was working against him. Every delay that could possibly be thought of happened, and it was mid-afternoon by the time he was done.

"Ready to go, Amy?" he asked, turning in his chair to the petite brunette sitting at her own desk. Amy Baker, part of the tech ops department like himself, had only started working there six months ago, but, he was happy to say, they'd become more-than-coworkers a couple of months into it. The build-up of their relationship had been a bit slow, with a few dates and kisses good night in his car as he dropped her off. But he knew it'd been building ever since, and given that Sunday was her birthday, he'd given a lot of thought to the gift he wanted to give her. A pair of emerald earrings that would rival her green eyes sat in a jeweler's case in his coat pocket.

"I was ready to go at noon when everyone else was," Amy said, smiling and rising out of her chair. "You should look outside."

Stu frowned, but stood and glanced outside. Nothing but white. He could make out the individual snowflakes that fell close to the window, but the rest of the vista was obliterated. "Oh, no," he said quietly. "Why didn't you say something?"

"You were busy," Amy said, walking up to him and sliding her arm around his waist.

"But you could have left with the others," he said, dropping his own arm on her shoulders. Even with her heels on, her height came just to his collar. "Now it seems we're both stuck here."

"We came in the same car," she reminded him gently. "I wouldn't have felt right leaving you here to get stranded while I was home alone."

Stu lowered his head and dropped a kiss on her temple. "Today just hasn't been my day," he chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Amy said, turning so she was in front of him. "Seems kind of romantic, being stranded during a winter storm."

Stu tilted his head at her, smiling at her teasing tone and batting eyelashes. "You think being stuck at the CIA headquarters is romantic?"

"No, I think being stuck with you anywhere is romantic," she said, leaning up on tiptoe. Even with her heels, she couldn't stretch enough to reach him without some help, and her heart did a little jump when he did, his head lowering to hers to press his lips against her sweetheart bow of a mouth.

"Think we should chance it, anyway?" he said after pulling back.

"You drive a Ford Fusion, Stu," Amy reminded him, "not a pickup truck nor an SUV. And by the looks of it out there, we'd be risking our lives to attempt it. It wouldn't be the first time you had to spend the night here because of a long mission, though."

"Yeah, but –" Stu sighed, seeing his plans for Sunday disappear in a puff of smoke. In addition to the earrings, he'd contemplated asking Amy to take the next step in their relationship and move in with him. Considering they hadn't even gone further than some heavy makeout sessions, he wasn't sure how she'd respond to the prospect. He did know he loved her, though, and his proclamation of that figured heavily in his plans for Sunday.

"But what?" Amy asked, frowning as she saw a look of disappointment cross his handsome, dusky face. "We've spent the night together before, you know."

"My falling asleep drunk on your couch shouldn't count," he said with a smile. "You do know it's your birthday Sunday, and I was planning on making it special for you."

"We should be out of here by then," Amy said. "In the meantime, we can treat this like a slumber party."  
>Stu stifled a laugh. "Okay, but no hair braiding."<p>

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Annie took one look at the frown on his face, his arms across his chest, and knew. She knew he wouldn't let the subject drop until she detailed everything that'd happened to her. She also knew he knew her. Usually she could shrug off a bad op and get on with it, but he must have heard the tiredness in her voice, the frustration.

Looking around, she knew they were quite alone, but still, she took his elbow and led them back to tech ops. Sliding the door shut, she waited until he was seated in his chair and pulled another one up to him. His knee brushed hers, and his hands slid across until they met hers, clasping lightly.

"You already know most of what happened, 'cause you heard it, but –" Annie took a deep breath and pulled from the strength that his light touch gave her. "What you wouldn't know is about the fight itself. I really don't think he wanted to hurt me. He just got scared and refused to hand over the intel. When he realized I wasn't leaving without it, he tried pushing past me. I grabbed him, and we pretty much grappled like a couple of wrestlers. I did win, after a fashion, 'cause I got the intel, but not before he got in a couple of licks. He threw me, pushed me hard, and I landed wrong."

"Where?" Auggie asked.

"My knee hit the ground, and it's pretty swollen, but my side's the worst. I don't think I broke any ribs, but –" Annie's voice trailed off as Auggie let go of her hands and reached for her torso.

"Right or left?" Auggie asked.

"Left, but really, it's only bruised, you don't have to –"

"Take your jacket off."

With a bit of effort, Annie was able to wriggle out of the suit jacket, leaving her arms bare in the silk tank she wore underneath. Auggie's hands reached for her again, spreading across her waist and up her side. A slight intake of breath showed him where the injury was, and he gentled his touch, his fingers sliding across the silk fabric as he ascertained the extent of her injury. Around to the back, his fingers traced her ribs and attached cartilage from her spine to her sternum and back again, easing up her side.

He didn't stop until his thumb brushed against her breast, and his hand froze. Had Annie not been slightly turned on by the gentle caresses of his hand, she would have laughed at the look on his face.

"I don't think any ribs are broken," he said softly.

"I didn't think so at the time, either, Auggie," Annie said. "It's just bruised. Maybe next time we hit the gym together, you could show me some judo moves."

"The only trick with judo is learning how to fall," Auggie said, nodding.

"Now, if you're done feeling me up, would you like to check out my knee?"

Auggie looked stunned for a moment before he realized his thumb was still pressed against the swell of her breast. Granted, a couple layers of clothing separated their skin, but the implication was enough to cause him to smile. "Just doing my job, you know, I am your handler."

"You did not just say that," Annie said with a laugh. She turned a bit, easing her swollen leg in front of him. She was wearing her long wool skirt and boots that came halfway up her calf. The coverage of both allowed her to go without hose, and she hadn't given that fact much thought until Auggie's fingers fell to her calf and began moving up. She was going to hitch her skirt up for him, but he trailed his hands up her boot, over the skin of her calf and under her skirt to her knee.

Reminding himself that he was merely checking out her injuries, Auggie couldn't help but notice the smoothness of her skin and richness of her clothing. Leather boot, warm skin, then the silk lining of a long skirt along the backs of his hands. His tactile awareness ramped up a bit, and he found himself closing his eyes.

"Just seems a bit swollen," he said, as his fingers gently pressed around her kneecap and under to the back of her knee. She jerked a bit as he did so, and he said, "Settle down."

"Sorry, just a bit ticklish," Annie said, though she knew deep down it was a fib. His hands were at once strong and sensitive, and the prickling sensations she was feeling as his fingers hit a spot on the back of her knee zinged straight up her leg to her core, causing her to jump.

"Since when?" Auggie asked with a smirk.

The air seemed to grow a bit thicker in the small space between them, and Annie pulled her leg back, smoothing her skirt down into place. "Umm, don't you think we should formulate a plan about what we're going to do?"

"Well, unless you want to go out and build an igloo, we better find some blankets."

"And where exactly are those?" Annie asked.

"Follow me," Auggie said with a wink, standing and crooking his elbow out for her.

They'd walked out of the DPD and through a few hallways, and before Annie could ask if they were headed to Wonderland, Auggie stopped in front of an unassuming door. He fished a ring of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

Annie walked through and found a switch on the side. What she saw before her made her laugh. "I take it this is the CIA's bomb shelter from the '50s?" she asked.

"No, of course not," Auggie said. "But you should be able to find a couple of mattress rolls, blankets, and a flashlight or two. The building's got an emergency generator, but it only covers the essential equipment."

After ladening Auggie's arms up with the mattress rolls and the blankets – he insisted – Annie grabbed a flashlight. "Hope you got batteries."

"No need, it's one of those special ones. You shake it."

"Oh, okay," she said, smiling.

They'd made it back to tech ops without dropping anything, and Annie watched as Auggie slid a table at the far wall down and dropped the mattress rolls down. He was on his knees undoing the ties when Annie walked up to him.  
>"I take it you've done this before."<p>

"In the service, yeah. Here, I usually just nap in my chair. Figured you'd want to be comfortable."

"Thanks," Annie said with a smile. "Guess we should try to round up something to eat."

"I got some energy bars in my desk."

"Right, energy bars before going to sleep," Annie scoffed. "Tell you what, I've got something in mind, so you finish that, and I'll be right back."

Making her way out of tech ops, Annie strode down the hall to the food court. She wasn't sure if anything would be still open or left open, but she had to try. A tasteless energy bar wasn't exactly how she planned to spend the next day or two.

After pronouncing his intent to wait with Jennifer, Jai walked past her to the bench next to the door and took a seat. The angle gave him a perfect view of her profile, and he studied it. Tanned skin, strong jawline. Her hair shone a bit from the unnatural snow glare from the glass doors, making the straight brown tresses look otherworldly. Her mouth was drawn down a bit in a frown, and he wondered how long she would stand there before finally accepting his offer.  
>One thing he did know is that he wasn't leaving until he knew she was safe. He was enough of a gentleman to do so, and he knew his mother would never forgive him if he left.<p>

Jennifer's annoyance at her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend grew steadily as the minutes ticked by and the snow settled, inch by inch. It wouldn't be so bad had the hair not been standing up on the back of her neck, courtesy of a certain tall, dark and handsome man sitting a few feet away staring at her. She'd heard one too many stories about the great Jai Wilcox, and she knew some of them were probably fabricated or expounded upon. It wasn't enough to give her total pause, though, and the few times she'd seen him in the halls, she'd caught herself taking a second look.  
>But her initial curiosity was slowly giving way to frustration. "You can leave, you know. I'll be fine."<p>

"I know," Jai replied, but made no effort to move.

"Has anyone ever told you you're insufferable?" she snapped.

Jai's lips twisted up a bit, but he refused to take the bait. "It's still not too bad out there. Are you sure you don't want me to give you a ride?"

"No," Jennifer replied coldly.

30 minutes later, the light through the windowed doors began to fade, along with any hope that Jennifer would be sleeping in her own bed tonight.

Jai watched as the frustration and annoyance evident in her face slid slowly into sadness and acceptance. He knew by now that it was far too late and too bad out there for anyone – including him – to be driving. He began to think of the various places in the building he could get into to spend the night when she began to speak.

"He's not coming."

It was audible enough for him to hear, but still a whisper.

"No," he replied.

"I should have taken you up on your offer."

"Perhaps."

Turning to Jai, Jennifer walked over and sat next to him on the bench. "What are we going to do now?"

Jai had been contemplating his own night accommodations, but at the mention of the word "we," he smiled wide. "I know of a lounge with a couple of couches."

Jennifer nodded. "You didn't have plans, did you?"

Jai shrugged, "Nothing that couldn't be rescheduled. Doubt if I could have kept them with the snow, anyway. How about you? Do you need to call this Derek?"

Thinking for a minute, Jennifer looked out at the swirling snow, then back over at Jai. "No, he knows where I am."  
>A few minutes later, Jai and Jennifer stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall of the seventh floor. Jennifer had never been in this part of the building, and she took in the sights. It was much more opulent than her more utilitarian part of the complex, but she thought, it probably had to be. Jai stopped outside a closed door, and with a nod to her, opened it, ushering her in.<p>

A flip of a light switch, and they were in what Jennifer could only describe as one room that rivaled the size of her entire apartment. Jai was right, though, and large, soft couches and a couple of armchairs filled one corner. A conference table and equipment were on the other end.

"Hungry?"

"Hmm?"

Jai chuckled at her wide open eyes and mouth. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, sure. Don't tell me there's a kitchen in this place, too?"

"Kitchen, no," Jai said. "But I might be able to rustle something up. Make yourself at home. I'll be right back.

"Come on, Stu, at least tell me where we're going," Amy said, walking fast beside him as he strode along a hallway, their clasped hands swinging between them.

"You'll see soon enough," he said, giving her fingers a squeeze. "I just hope it's not locked."

"We could go to Joan's office. I know there's a sofa in there," Amy offered.

"Uh-uh, she left at lunchtime, I think, and she always locks it when she leaves. And don't think about picking it. Once a door is locked, it's hooked into the alarm," Stu said.

"Too bad," Amy said, breathing a sigh of relief when he stopped outside an unmarked door. "Finally. I think my feet were going to fall off."

Twisting the knob, Stu smiled when it opened freely. He reached inside and flipped a switch. The small room was mostly filled with equipment and a desk, but along one wall, for whatever reason, was a decent couch. When he was still doing a/v work, he spent a lot of time on that couch taking naps.

"Wow. And here I thought I'd thought I'd be curling up on a bench somewhere. You, Stuart, are a genius," Amy said, wrapping an arm around his waist and squeezing. "There's only one couch, though."

"Yeah," Stu said, nodding, trying to sound nonchalant, but knowing what she was getting at. "Is that a problem?"  
>"And I guess you're not going to be a gentleman and offer to sleep on the floor, huh?"<p>

Stu looked down to see her green eyes smiling up at him. He shook his head slowly.

"Oh."

"Is that a problem?" he asked, hoping against hope it wasn't.

"Not at all," Amy said, a thrill slowly moving through her until it reached her toes. Though they'd been seeing each other for months now, their relationship had never crossed the bedroom threshold – his or hers. Whether it was him pulling away or her, it never seemed to be the right time or circumstances. Now, though, it seemed the circumstances were pushing them toward the inevitable.

"Good," Stu replied. "Now, why don't you get settled, and I'll go hit up the vending machines for some food."

"Okay," Amy said, reaching her hands up to his neck and pulling him down to kiss him. "Don't be long, okay?"

Stu approached the food court, his wallet open. Thankfully, the building's vending machines accepted credit cards, so unless Amy got tired of eating junk food and pop-tarts, they should have a pleasant day or two in-house.  
>He'd turned the corner when he heard voices ahead of him. He assumed that he and Amy were the only ones who hadn't made it home, but, he thought, maybe they'd have company this weekend.<p>

"Jesus, Jai, could you at least let me try it?"

"I've got it, Annie. I've been doing this a lot longer than you, remember."

"Length of service has nothing to do with skill."

Stu held back a laugh as he caught the argument between Annie Walker and Jai Wilcox. He saw them at the locked door of the cafeteria's kitchen, jostling each other trying to pick the lock.

"Guess Amy and I aren't the only ones who didn't make it home," he said, leaning up against the counter.

Annie whipped around at the voice and saw Stu smiling across at them. "Stu! Why are you here?"

"Op went long. What about you?"

"Filling out paperwork in a room without a window. Didn't even know it was snowing until I got back to my desk," Annie explained, stepping back to allow Jai to do his magic.

"You really think we can get in there? I was planning on emptying the vending machines, but –"

"Ah ha!" Jai exclaimed as a loud click echoed. "Since I got us in here, I got first pick of the goods."

Annie rolled her eyes, but shared a smile with Stu. "You said Amy's here, too?"

"Yeah, we drove in together, so, you know."

"And now you're stuck here together," Annie said with a knowing smile. "Try to keep the noise down. Auggie and I would like to get some rest tonight."

Stu colored a bit at her insinuation, but smiled back at her. "Auggie's here, too?"

"Yeah, don't ask me why. He said he didn't want to leave unless he knew I got back all right, but –"

Stu was going to finish the sentence for her, maybe give some insight into Auggie's motivations regarding his favorite agent, but he knew it wasn't his place. He knew his boss had a thing for Annie, but until he knew for certain those feelings were reciprocated, he kept his knowledge to himself.

"Well? Are you guys coming?" Jai asked, sticking his head out the door again. "There's plenty of food in here for the six of us, so grab whatever you want."

Annie's brow wrinkled as she walked after him into the kitchen. "Wait, six? Who else is here, Jai?"

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Swinging her bag laden with sodas, waters, and a few hoagies, Annie slid the door of tech ops open, ready to share her bounty and good news with Auggie. Jai had made them leave a list of what they took, though Annie and Stu were all for looting and running.

She shut the door and dropped the bag on Auggie's desk. Looking up, she saw him standing at the end of the room where he'd dropped their bedrolls. Her mouth dropped open, and her fingers slipped from the handles of the bag. His back was to her, and he'd obviously opted to change out of his office clothes.

A pair of loose black sweatpants hung low on his hips, offering a spectacular view of his bare back. She'd seen him in gym clothes several times, but he'd always worn a shirt. Now she saw that his upper back, in addition to be muscled and smooth, sported an elaborate tattoo that spread from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. His arms and sides clenched as he fiddled with a shirt, turning it right side out. Annie felt a delicious thrill flow through her, and she fought the urge to melodramatically fan herself.

"Damn."

The word slipped out of her mouth unknowingly, but Auggie heard it all the same. His ego sufficiently boosted, he turned, making sure to keep his movements slow as he pulled the t-shirt over his head and down his chest. "Really, Annie, a person'd think you had never seen a guy with his shirt off before."

As her cheeks were slightly reddening, Annie retorted, "Don't flatter yourself. I was just admiring your tattoo."

"Uh-huh," Auggie said, sauntering over to her. "Keep telling yourself that. I had two sets, if you want the other one."

"Thanks," Annie said, tearing her eyes away from him to the bag in front of her. With unhurried movements, she started pulling out the items.

"What'd you get? Soda and candy bars?" Auggie asked, pulling at the bag. Annie left him to unpack and walked over to where he'd left the extra clothes for her.

She took off her jacket first and began unzipping her boots. "Nope, broke into the food court canteen. Actual food. Found out a few things, as well," Annie said, grunting a bit as she pulled the form-fitting footwear off. "We're not alone. Stu and Amy got caught in a late op and are holed up down in the a/v room. Also, Jai's with some weapons analyst woman up in a lounge on the seventh floor. Apparently, her ride never showed, and he was waiting with her. Kind of blew my mind that Jai would do something like that for someone he just met, don't you think?"

Finally getting both boots off her thankful feet, Annie dropped them on the floor and straightened, noticing that Auggie had stopped unpacking and was staring in her direction. "What is it?" she asked.

"You're changing."

The subtle change that came over Auggie's countenance was a familiar one with a half-smile and flirty glint in his eyes. She'd seen him use it several times before, but always aimed at other women when he'd wanted a favor or tried to pick them up in the bar.

Annie almost had an instinct to turn around to see if anyone was behind her. No, she thought, he's aiming that smile at her. Huh, imagine that, she pondered. And in the next ten seconds, she engaged in a running debate with herself where she had two choices at that moment. She could either flirt back and see where it took her or shut him down now while they still had a chance to salvage their friendship. The seconds ticked down for her to respond. Three, two, one…

"You know, you could be a gentleman and turn around," she said, unzipping her skirt and sliding it off.

The half-smile widened into a full-fledged devastating grin, and Auggie replied, "Now, why would I want to do that?"

"Too bad you have to rely on your imagination, " Annie said, holding up the sweats in front of her. "Hope I don't swim in these."

"They should fit all right. We're about the same size."

"Excuse me? How would you know –"

"You think I trained you all those times in the gym just to get a workout?"

Okay, Annie thought, he's obviously much more adept at this than I am. Slipping the sweatpants on over her bare legs, she pulled on the drawstring until they were tight around her waist and tied it off. In a few movements, she had her jacket, tank and bra off and slipped his t-shirt on. The fabric was soft and comfortable, and though she knew they were clean clothes, she could swear Auggie's scent still clung to them.

"So, what have you been up to since I was gone?"

Auggie held his hand out to her, and Annie walked over to him and took it. His hand clasped hers, and he pulled her around his desk and over to the corner where he'd laid the bedrolls. He didn't say anything, just swept his arm out in a movement that shouted "ta da!"

Following where he pointed, Annie took in what she could only term as a nest of carefully laid blankets, two pillows and the mattress rolls laid side by side. "Umm, okay," Annie said.

Her tone must have sounded unconvincing, and Auggie frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really," Annie said, patting his hand clasped in hers. "You put them kind of close together, though."  
>"It might get cold tonight."<p>

Carefully gauging his face as he spoke the words, Annie couldn't tell whether he was sincere or just flirting with her. She'd be accepting of either way, she knew, but as the next day or two stretched out in front of her, she wondered what it'd be like to spend the night with him.

Jai arrived back on the seventh floor, holding his own bag of food in one hand and his gym bag in the other. As he was coming back from the food court, he remembered he'd left it there in his locker and retrieved it before getting in the elevator.

As he opened the door, he heard Jennifer talking. Her back was to him, and her cellphone was clutched in her hand to her ear. He didn't want to eavesdrop, so he turned his back and set the bags on the conference table, waiting for her to finish before giving her the good news.

"I can't believe you, Derek. I told you to come in today."

Ahh, talking to the infamous Derek, Jai thought. Did he work there, as well? Was he merely a co-worker, or were they seeing each other?

"You could have called me. No, I don't know when I'm getting back."

Another few seconds ticked by, and Jai couldn't help but strain his hearing to try to pick up the other end of the conversation. He couldn't make out much.

"Why don't you spend this weekend looking for a job? And, while you're at it, a new girlfriend, as well!"

And so the story is complete, Jai thought, though he made sure not to give away that he'd heard – and understood – the conversation. Apparently, Derek worked with Jennifer here, he'd skipped work, lost his job, and lost his girlfriend in the process. The one missing piece was why he hadn't picked her up, but that piece of information could wait for later.

He glanced over at her, and saw her clenching the phone in her hand, standing relatively still. He hadn't much experience in consoling grieving females, and wasn't sure what the proper sentiment would be. Deciding to take the tack that he hadn't heard any of what he just did, he said, "I was able to get us some decent food, if you're hungry."

Jennifer barely heard his words, as she couldn't quite believe what she just did. She broke up with Derek. On the phone. She assumed such a move would make her feel sad or upset, but actually, she felt as if a weight had lifted off her. She took a deep breath, testing herself to see if tears would fall. Huh, nothing. A slight sense of loss, but nothing else. Her inner self patted her on the back, and she slid the phone into her pocket with a smile.

"Jennifer? I was able to get some food," Jai said.

"I heard you," Jennifer said, walking over to him. "What'd you do, pick the lock to the canteen's kitchen?"

Jai mock frowned. "Now, see, it sounds like a crime when you say it."

Jennifer refused to smile, though her lip twitched instinctively. She pulled the bag over to her and began to root through it. "I call dibs on the potato chips."

"Take whatever you want," Jai said. "There's plenty more left. I – I was going to change clothes. Do you have anything?"

"Do I have any what?" Jennifer asked, pulling an orange juice out of the bag and opening it.

"Do you have a change of clothes in the building?"

"Oh, yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. Tell you what, unpack all this, and I'll be right back," she said.

"Yeah, you do that," Jai said softly, watching her as she walked out. He decided to take advantage of his aloneness to change clothes himself and unbuttoned his shirt. As he did so, he had a suddenly flash of Jennifer doing it for him, and his fingers stilled at the unbidden image. Geez, Jai, he thought. The girl just broke up with her boyfriend, and here you are mentally seducing her. Get a grip, and maybe you'll be able to talk her into a date by the end of the weekend.

Stu opened the door of the a/v room, all ready to surprise Amy with his bag of goodies when he heard music playing. He looked around to see the computer monitors' full of dancing and waving lines and graphics. "Amy, don't tell me. You hacked into the computers and uploaded your playlist, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

Her voice came from behind him, and he turned to see her lounging on the couch, an oversized t-shirt covering her from her shoulders down to nearly her knees. He recognized it as his, but had no idea where she'd gotten it.

Amy swung her bare legs off the couch and padded barefoot over to him until only a couple of inches separated them, and she had to look up at him. "I also snuck down to the locker room and grabbed our gym bags. Hope you don't mind me borrowing your shirt."

"You can borrow anything of mine you want, but what am I supposed to wear?" Stu asked.

Amy cocked an eyebrow at him and attempted to bat her eyes. She was fairly proficient at it and knew the effect it had on him. The dropping of the bag to the floor echoed in the room, and Amy lifted her hands to his neck, lifting herself to her tiptoes.

Stu growled low in his throat as her body came into contact with his. Giving in, he dropped the few inches it took to reach her mouth and kissed her softly, his arms sliding across the soft material covering her back.

A soft growl in Amy's stomach made her giggle against his lips, and she pulled back, burrowing her face into his chest. "Busted by the stomach police."

"I got actual food, you know. Not just stuff from the vending machine," Stu said. "And, just a heads up in case you plan on walking through the halls like that, we're not alone. Annie, Auggie, Jai, and Jennifer, a weapons analyst, got stuck here, as well."

Amy nodded, "But they're not anywhere close, right?"

Stu nodded, stepping away from her and picking the bag of food up off the ground. "Jai's up on the seventh floor, and Annie and Auggie decided to bed down in tech ops."

Pulling out two juices and hoagies, Stu left the rest of the food in the bag and sat it on the floor. He handed Amy's to her and cocked his head toward the couch. "Care to join me for a picnic, Miss Baker?"

Amy smiled, shaking her head. "This is a slumber party, not a picnic. After we eat, you have to put your pajamas on, and then we can tell each other scary stories until we fall asleep."

Stu sat on the couch and kicked off his shoes. "I don't have any pajamas, Amy, and somebody stole the shirt I was planning on sleeping in."

Amy joined him and sat on the other end of the couch, pulling her legs up on the cushions and pulling the shirt down over her drawn-up knees. "I left you the bottoms."

"You're so generous, Amy," Stu said with a laugh. "You didn't happen to see a blanket in my locker while you were raiding it, did you?"

Amy shook her head, her mouth full of food.

Sweeping his eyes over her long, dark hair that she'd let down out of its ponytail and was now curled around her shoulders, Stu put on his best dirty man leer. "Guess we'll have to find some other way to keep warm."

A sharp intake of breath at his words and hooded gaze, and Amy was coughing as the bite of hoagie got stuck in her throat. A few swallows and a swig from her juice bottle cleared her passage again, and she looked back over at her boyfriend to see the sexy, hooded gaze replaced by a smile and barely contained laughter.  
>"You want to play dirty, huh?" she asked.<p>

"Gotta find some way to pass the time," Stu said, shrugging.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Auggie lay on his back, his legs stretched out before him, one arm on his chest, and the other tucked behind his head. Annie lay in, he believed, the same position to his left. Given the slight hardness of the floor beneath them, the mattress pads gave enough cushion to be comfortable. The blankets were a heavy fleece, and Auggie was glad they were available. The last he knew, the emergency blankets kept in storage were wool and itchy.

Before he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion take over, he ran through in his mind everything he'd wanted to get done before he went to sleep. He'd contacted Joan again and apprised her of the rest of the inhabitants of the building. She gave the okay, through Arthur, to use whatever they needed in the building – within reason – to keep comfortable, safe and warm. He hadn't mentioned the break-in of the canteen, but if anyone complained, he'd plead ignorance and blame Jai.

Joan had also asked if they were experiencing any loss of power, as the news was reporting downed lines from the wind and weight of the snow. Though emergency generators were in place, Auggie went ahead and, with a bit of computer magic, shut down the power to non-essential areas of the building. If the main power did go out, the emergency generators would, then, only have to give light, electricity and heat to the needed areas.

He'd also listened a bit more to the weather, nothing had changed. Heavy snow, wind, plummeting temperatures. States of emergency, interstates shut down, and a firm caution to stay off the roads. No problem, Auggie had thought at the time. His days of shoveling snow, cleaning off cars and attempting to drive on slick streets were over.

Shutting his eyes, content in the knowledge that anything that could be done at the time was done, Auggie started to drift asleep. The only sounds came from his own breathing and that of Annie's beside him. He allowed himself a small smile of happiness that she hadn't backed down earlier when he began teasing her. What else could he do? He was a man, and she started to strip in front of him. Still, when she was gone, and he'd started to set up their "nest," an image came to him of them lying next to each other sleeping, and he felt his body responding to the possibilities.  
>Given how she hadn't shied away earlier from his not-so-subtle flirtation, he'd allowed the feeling to continue. He always had a soft spot for her. Hell, he'd be at home in his own, more comfortable and warm, bed if he hadn't wanted to make sure she was safe first. When he heard her zipper descend earlier, he nearly came undone.<p>

Now, as only a few inches separated them, he listened closely to her soft breaths. They were calming and soothing and were lulling him to sleep.

A few minutes later, though, the soft sounds evolved into a soft movement as she shifted and a gasp of pain. She swore softly, and Auggie immediately sat up. "You okay?"

Annie groaned, moving into her previous position on her back. "Yeah, just forgot I can't sleep on my left side like I'm used to."

Taking charge, Auggie slid his arm out from behind his head and eased it beneath her shoulders. "Here," he said, not letting her push away or belittle her discomfort. Though she protested earlier that she was okay, he knew she was hurt more than she let on. "Prop yourself up against me."

Annie hesitated for a moment, even as his arm under her shoulders was pulling her towards him. But she knew he had a point. Usually she could sleep in any position, but her side and knee were craving a softness that her current position didn't afford.

As his body slid up against hers, she immediately felt the warmth and strength emanate from him. Her own body involuntarily sought to seek it, and she found herself twisting onto her right side, her head nestled on his shoulder. Her arm naturally found its way onto his chest, and her injured knee bent up to rest on his thigh.

Auggie felt a humbleness and gratitude as she accepted his help. She rarely did, and he rested his hand on hers as it lay on his chest. "Shh, just go to sleep."

The long hours, hard work and frustration of getting stuck away from home in a snowstorm weighed on Annie's mind, and she gave herself up to the comfort offered her. Though such a compromising position she found herself in would seem to some as fairly sexual, she knew Auggie would never take advantage of her. He truly cared for her, and she sent a small prayer out of thanks before closing her eyes.

Letting his arm curl down around her back, Auggie's hand splayed out against her injured side, applying needed warmth and pressure. As his eyes shut, he made a promise to himself to make sure he never betrayed the trust that she was instilling in him now.

Jai glanced up from the file he was reading to look over at Jennifer as she sat curled up on the other couch. She had a book of crosswords open on her lap and a pencil twirling in her fingertips.

"It's a good thing both of these couches are full-size, huh? I'd hate to have to fight you for it," Jai said.

"No, you wouldn't," Jennifer replied, never looking up from the puzzle in front of her.

"No?"

"No, you'd insist I take it. I'd say no, and we'd both wind up sleeping on the floor," Jennifer said, looking up at Jai with a smile.

Jai threw his head back and laughed. "You're right."

"I know."

Jai pulled his eyes back down to the file open on his lap. Given the prospects of him getting out of the building anytime soon were slowly disappearing, he figured he'd be productive and get some work done.

His attempts to concentrate, however, were foiled at Jennifer's intermittent "hmms" and "ah-has" as she worked on her crossword puzzle. With a sigh of frustration, he closed the file and placed it on the floor. He swung his legs up onto the couch and laid down, propping his arms behind his head.

"So," he said, as nonchalantly as he could muster, "you and Derek."

Jennifer's hand slipped a bit as she filled out an answer, and she erased out her smudge with a shaky hand. "Excuse me?"

"Derek, the guy that was supposed to pick you up," Jai said. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard part of your conversation earlier."

"You know, even if you do overhear a private conversation, a gentleman would know better than to bring it up," Jennifer said. "And since you've been one up until now, I'm wondering where this line of conversation is going."

"So it's true you did break up with him?" Jai pressed, wondering himself where he was going with this line of questioning. He simply wanted to pass the time, but he'd be lying to himself if he didn't acknowledge he was interested in this woman and wanted to know if she was available.

Jennifer squeezed the pencil between her fingers before slapping it into the crosswords book and closing it. She looked over at Jai who lay on his couch, his gaze directed straight at her. "What do you want from me, Jai? You want me to tell you all my secrets, all my problems, then bat my eyes and hope you'll take them all away?"

Jai's easy smile slipped a bit at her tone. It wasn't angry, nor sarcastic. She spoke easily and with confidence, and he felt his attraction to her, though physical and superficial at first, grow a bit deeper.

"Just trying to make conversation. We're going to be here for quite a while, you know."

Jennifer smirked and propped her head on her hand, leaning her elbow on the couch's arm. "Etiquette would require, if you cannot say anything of any use in a conversation, your comments should be confined to the weather."

Jai nearly laughed at her response, but thought better of it. "Very well. It seems to be snowing outside."

"Yes, I noticed," Jennifer replied.

The room fell into silence again. After a minute, Jai said, "See where etiquette gets you? I prefer honesty."

Jennifer nodded. "You have a point. Honesty is always best. Shall I be honest with you?"

"Please."

Making sure she didn't waver from his gaze, Jennifer pulled together all the strength she had in her. "I have heard of you, Jai Wilcox. I've heard of your illustrious career, your family history, your close ties to the people here," she said, swinging her arm around to encompass the entire of the seventh floor. "Professionally, you are among the best and a force to be reckoned with."

The corner of Jai's mouth twisted up in a bit of pride at her words. Well, she wasn't wrong.

"But personally? You're a charmer with an eye for anything in a skirt. And given the fact that I was wearing slacks when we first met, I'm still puzzled as to your interest in me," Jennifer said.

Jai's mouth fell open at her blunt words. Up until now, he thought her bristly attitude was due to Derek's actions, or being snowbound. Did she really dislike him that much?

"Usually I would protest such an assassination of my character, though I have heard worse, but if that's truly how you feel, I'll not bother you anymore."

Jai bent forward and pulled the thin blanket lying at his feet and pulled it over himself. "Sleep well, Miss Barnes."

He'd turned her back to her and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. Jennifer felt almost confused as to his sudden change of demeanor. Had she really insulted him that much? They'd been trading barbs all evening. She hadn't really meant to say all that to him, but his pressing the issue about Derek had touched a nerve that she didn't appreciate.  
>She sighed and stood up, padding over to the light switch and engulfing the room in darkness. After settling herself onto her couch with her own blanket, she tried to close her eyes and rest, but the shocked and hurt look on Jai's face at her words before kept surfacing. The last thing she needed right now was to get involved with someone else, yet here she was, holed up alone with a handsome, flirtatious man. What's worse is she really didn't mean everything she said.<p>

Well, granted what she said was the truth, but she didn't mean to insult him with it. He'd done nothing but be nice and courteous to her during their whole ordeal. He'd stayed with her while she was waiting for Derek, offered her food and accommodations. And how did she repay him? By rebuffing his every attempt.

"Jai?"

A heavy sigh greeted her. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for what I said."

"Okay."

"You're not mad?"

"No. I know what my past is, but I won't apologize for it. It's made me what I am."

Jennifer smiled a bit to herself. "I wouldn't expect you to. But maybe the gossip that you 'won't apologize for' wouldn't require an apology if you let other people see the side of you that I have tonight."

The room was pitch black, but Jai still turned to face her, rearranging his blanket over himself. "Thank you, Jennifer."

"You're welcome."

"Any reason for this change of attitude?" He couldn't help himself, he really couldn't.

"Well, can't have you mad and pouting all weekend," Jennifer said simply.

"That's a given, but –"

"'Cause somebody's gotta shovel us out of here once it stops snowing, and I refuse."

Jai's mouth hung open for the second time that night, but this time, it ended with him laughing so loud and heartily, Jennifer soon joined in. His laughter was a bit contagious, and she almost felt disappointed that she wasn't able to see him at that moment.

After they quieted down, Jai arranged himself back within his blankets. "Good night, Jennifer."

"'Night, Jai."

After devouring their supper, Stu and Amy both made quick trips to the nearby restroom to wash up and brush their teeth. Stu also took the time to change into the sweatpants Amy had left for him.

They now lay on the couch, Stu on his back, Amy on her side beside him. The couch was of a decent size, but didn't really avail itself to two people lying down on it comfortably. Unless, of course, those two people took up the position they were in now.

He was able to find a blanket to cover them, and given the heat of their bodies pressed together, Stu was extremely comfortable.

"Mm," Amy said, adjusting her cheek to rest against Stu's shoulder. "I think I ate too much. I'm stuffed."

Stu ran his hand down her back, settling on her waist. "Yeah, you do feel a little heavier than normal."

Amy curled her fingers into a fist and lightly punched Stu on the chest. He grunted and grabbed her hand, pulling it up to his mouth to kiss the knuckles. He kept his fingers clasped into his and resettled them both on his chest.

"I like this," Amy said, rubbing her cheek against his bare shoulder.

"It is kinda nice, huh?"

"Nice?" Amy asked in disbelief. "Your loving girlfriend is lying half-naked in your arms under a blanket, and you think it's nice?"

"Okay, then, how about life-affirming?"

"Uhh, getting there."

"Beautiful," Stu whispered, to which Amy raised her face to his. He pressed a kiss to her lips before continuing. "Regret."

Amy leaned back a bit, staring into his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"Let me finish. Regret – that we never did this before."

"Better," Amy said, resettling onto his shoulder. "I don't think I can bear sleeping by myself after this."

"Who says you have to?" Stu asked.

Amy's heart swelled at his words, and she shut her eyes, feeling a sting of tears start behind them. After taking a deep breath to clear them, she pulled up a bit until she was face-to-face with him. "Let's just see how this night goes, huh?"

Stu nodded, and she closed the small distance between them, sealing their agreement with a kiss that, as his hand released hers and settled on her jaw, grew deeper and infinitely more passionate.

Amy's free hand traveled of its own accord down his chest and back, alternating scraping with her nails and then soothing the skin. She felt Stu shudder as she did so, and she smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arm around his side, giving her a bit of leverage to angle her body further over his.

As she settled nearly completely over him, Stu used all of his remaining willpower to pull away from her. He soothed the disappointed look in her eyes with a kiss to each eyelid.

"I know," Amy whispered.

"Yes," Stu said, smoothing his hands across her face and tucking her hair behind her ears. "That, and I don't want our first time to be on a lumpy couch in a government building."

Smiling with a feeling as close to love as she had ever felt in her life, Amy leaned in and pressed a small kiss against his lips. Sliding back down beside him, she resumed her position, but kept her arm locked around his chest. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"I know."

Amy chuckled into his shoulder, and Stu tightened his arm around her back. With his free hand, he adjusted the blanket more firmly around them both, and within a few minutes heard the soft sounds of her sleep.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Saturday morning, Annie walked into the canteen, hoping to be able to find some coffee. She rested comfortably last night, and her body felt infinitely more better. She felt almost shy at how she'd fell asleep next to Auggie, his body comforting hers and allowing it to heal.

She'd woken up a couple of hours into her sleep a bit startled and disoriented. Not only because of where she'd fallen asleep, but because she wasn't alone. It'd been a long time since she'd woken up in a man's arms, and as she'd slowly roused, her slight movements caused the arm around her back to hold a bit tighter. It was muscled and lean, and the large hand on her waist slid up her side, the fingertips just brushing against the side of her breast. She'd shivered at the contact and snuggled further into the warmth she was resting against, pressing her body into its length.

When she'd finally opened her eyes, she'd gasped a bit at the sight of Auggie's face just inches from her own, eyes closed. He'd looked so peaceful, so content, and, she'd thought at the time, so desirable.

In the half-asleep, half-awake haze she was in, all she could comprehend was the small space they both took up. Given how close they were, his mouth was within reaching distance, and as much out of curiosity as of want, Annie gave in and lightly brushed her lips over his. When she pulled back, he'd murmured her name and pulled her closer. She'd froze at the sound, but his eyes hadn't opened, and he didn't move anymore, so with a secretive smile, she settled back down and went to sleep.

When she'd finally woken up this morning, neither of them had moved from that position. Her head remained on his shoulder, and she felt his breath across her forehead. But, given her pressing need to visit the ladies room, she wound up having to wake him so he could let go of her. After shaking his shoulder and calling his name several times, he woke up, giving her such a warm, wide and sweet smile, she'd nearly kissed him again. But the moment passed, and he'd pulled his arm out from around her. If he remembered her kissing him during the night, he didn't let on.

After finishing her ablutions in the ladies room, Annie had set out for the canteen. As soon as she walked in, however, she saw Stu had beaten her to it. He was dressed similar to her, in sweatpants and socks. However, his outfit was topped with his dress shirt from the day before.

"I think you've taken the phrase walk of shame to new heights, Stu," she teased.

Stu laughs, looking down at his mismatched outfit. "Yeah, Amy took my t-shirt to sleep in, so I had to improvise this morning."

"Right, you and Amy holed up down in the old A/V room," Annie said, sidling up next to him. "I've been down there a time or two. Is that couch as uncomfortable as it looked?"

"I slept all right," Stu said with a shrug, pressing the button on the oversized coffeemaker to start it to brewing.

"And Amy?" Annie pressed.

"Is still sleeping."

"Stu," Annie pouted. "I swear, you'd make a decent agent yourself."

"Why?" he asked, laughing.

"I'm trying to ascertain some details regarding your accommodations, and you're giving me nothing."

"Well, I can't speak for Amy, but as for me, I don't kiss and tell."

"Ooh!" Annie said, nearly jumping up and down. "So there was kissing."

Stu closed his eyes and shook his head. She was good, he'd give her that. But, he had his own teasing to do. "And how did you and Auggie sleep?"

Annie's mind immediately flashed back to the midnight caress she'd indulged in, and unfortunately, allowed her feelings to overtake her in the form of a blush across her cheeks. "Very well, thank you," she said.

"Uh-huh," Stu said, narrowing his eyes. "Then what's with the blush? Did something happen last night?"

Caught somewhat off-guard, as she was the one doing the original teasing, Annie suddenly found herself at a loss for words. Why was he asking? Had he walked by tech ops and seen them sleeping in each other's arms?

Stu smiled compassionately. "Don't feel embarrassed, Annie. Auggie's had a thing for you for quite some time, so I don't think you crossed any kind of line or anything."

Just as his words hit her ears and her brain had time to comprehend what he just said, Annie's head whipped up to look Stu directly in the eyes. "What?"

"Oh, geez, I'm sorry, Annie. I shouldn't have said anything. God, Aug's gonna kill me."

"No, no, it's okay," Annie said, trying to quell down her sudden excitement and rapid heartbeat. "I mean, did he say something?"

The tech analyst didn't reply, and Annie placed her hand on his arm, forcing him to look at her. "Stu, what did he say?"

Suddenly feeling as if he were being interrogated, Stu took a step back. "Annie, no, I can't betray a confidence, really."

"You already have. Now, tell me."

"Interrogating the support staff now, Annie?" Jai said, walking in with a tall brunette trailing behind. "What are you two talking about? We heard you all the way down the hall."

"It's nothing, Jai," Stu said, trying to ease the tension in the room. "I've got the coffee going if that's what you came for."

"It is what we came for. Jennifer, I'd like to introduce you to Stu Heatherton and Annie Walker, our fellow inmates for the weekend," Jai said, stepping aside and placing his hand on Jennifer's back.

"Nice to meet you, Jennifer," Annie said, extending her hand. Stu did the same, and soon they were all standing and waiting for the coffee to finish.

"So," Jai said, "What was all the shouting about Auggie for?"

Annie crossed her arms over her chest. "Stu already told you it's nothing, Jai."

"It's not nothing, considering what we heard, and the fact that you could cut the tension with a knife when we showed up. Stu?" Jai said, turning back to the tech analyst.

"If I can't tell Annie, I'm not going to tell you," Stu replied.

Jai rolled his eyes. This is way too much animosity before he'd even had caffeine. With a deep breath, he decided to cut it. "Okay, then, let me hazard a guess and put this schoolyard tiff to rest. Annie found out that Auggie's got a crush on her."

Annie's audible gasp echoed around the room. "How did you – no, wait, when did you know?"

"No, Annie, the question is, why didn't you know? You're a trained spy, for God's sake."

All eyes turned to Annie, who thankfully was saved by a loud ding that signified the readiness of the coffee. She hurriedly grabbed two containers and filled them. She was adding the appropriate sugar and creamer to hers and Auggie's when the fifth member of their group entered.

"Hey, Annie, you said you were going for coffee?"

Her hand shaking a bit as she reached for a stirrer, Annie glanced up to see Stu and Jai smiling at her, the latter cocking his head as if to challenge her. She knew they were waiting for her to react to the news they'd just delivered to her, but Annie had never been one to allow her personal life be center stage to this front row of onlookers.

Placing the lids on both of their drinks, she turned to Auggie and pressed his into his grasp. "Yeah, here you go. Stu made it, so I'm not sure about the quality."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Auggie said, smiling warmly down at her.

She patted his forearm and decided a change of topic would perhaps get the attention in the room off her. "So, anyone got an idea of what we can look forward to today?"

"Yeah, I took a look at the latest weather report before coming here," Auggie said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Now that we're all here, I'll just tell everyone. It's still snowing outside, and we've got about two feet out there."

At his words, the group hurried to the nearest set of windows to look out. The grey dawn had broken since they all got up, and their collective gasps told Auggie that the weather report was correct. "It should stop around noon, but it's really cold out there. 0 to 20 degrees, with the wind making it worse. We've got power still in the building, but even if it does go out, the emergency generators should get us through the worst of it."

A few hours later, Annie busied herself remaking her and Auggie's "bed," fluffing the pillows and readjusting the pads and blankets. Auggie sat at his computer, his headphones over his ears. Were it not for his outfit – sweatpants, tee and sweater – he looked as if he were at work.

Annie opted for a sweatshirt she found in her locker, and wondered how soon she could get out to her car where her suitcase full of a couple of sets of clothes rested. Until then, she'd settle for wearing Auggie's outfit, which truth be told, she didn't mind so much. Smoothing her hands over the blanket, she remembered how she and Auggie had fallen asleep just 12 hours prior, and she closed her eyes, savoring the remembered warmth and comfort.

"How are you feeling, Annie?"

"Wonderful," Annie said quietly, still wrapped up in her memory.

Frowning, then chuckling at her odd answer, Auggie asked, "Is everything okay? What are you doing?"

"Just folding up the blankets," she said, looking over at him. "You're not doing work, are you?"

"Hell, no. I'm a good worker, but not that ambitious. Just reading news and weather reports."

Annie sighed and stood, walking over to him and leaning against his desk. "How exciting. You could have just asked me. It's still snowing."

"Ha ha," Auggie said, his fingers moving over the Braille reader once more.

Watching him, Annie pondered broaching the subject she, Stu and Jai were arguing about during her coffee run. She wanted to, so badly, but what if Stu and Jai were wrong? Jai did point out that she was a spy, so maybe a subversive line of questioning could do the job. After all, they had nothing but time on their hands.

"So, Auggie, what have you been up to?"

"Huh?"

"How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess, why do you ask?"

Annie sighed, if he's this defensive at a simple how are you, how is she going to get the subject of how he feels about her? "Well, we've been thrown together like this, why not spend the time getting to know each other? So, outside of the office, what have you been up to? I haven't really talked to you recently aside from mission handling."

15 minutes later…

Auggie sat back in his chair, listening as Annie told him about her oldest niece's foray into liking a boy. His ears were tuned to her, but in his mind, he was replaying the dream he had the night before.

In his dream, Annie had just gotten back from an op, and instead of the usual debriefing and banter and checking in, she'd walked right up to him and kissed him full on the mouth, in front of everyone.

It'd felt so real, and was so much an answer to his prayers, when he woke up that morning with her in his arms, he thought that maybe his dream had come true. The feeling lasted but a few moments before dissipating, but he made sure to catalog and keep it, just the same.

"Danielle and Michael will have their hands full now that their daughters have found boys, don't you think?" he asked.  
>"It's usually what happens, girl meets boy, boy meets girl, et cetera," Annie said. "What about you? Anyone special in your boy meets girl scenario?"<p>

"Maybe," Auggie said, shrugging.

"Oh, come on, you can tell me," Annie said, nearly humming in anticipation that she'd finally gotten to the gist of her line of questioning.

"Can, yes. Whether I want to is another matter," Auggie countered.

At that moment, the door to tech ops opened, and Annie looked up to see Stu and Amy standing there.

"Annie," Amy said, walking in a few steps. "Do you have a hair brush I could borrow? I don't keep one here, and my hair got really tangled up last night."

Annie's gaze shifted from Amy to Stu, and she cocked an eyebrow to the implication. Stu shook his head, refusing to be baited. Annie laughed, and both Amy and Auggie looked perplexed as to her reaction.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, really," Annie said, walking up to her. "I've got one in my locker you can borrow."

Stu stepped aside to let the two women pass and shut the door, watching them walk away. "I'm glad we've got a minute alone, Aug."

"Why's that, Stu?" Auggie asked.

"I have to apologize to you. This morning, I – well, I accidentally told Annie about your – umm, you see, I told her about your affection for her," Stu stumbled out, readying himself for Auggie's reaction.

"Why would you do something like that?" Auggie said quietly, pulling the headphones off his ears and turning towards him.

"It just slipped out, believe me," Stu said. "She's a spy, Auggie, a good-looking one at that, and she caught me off guard."

Stu watched as Auggie ran his hands across his face. "Don't worry about it, though. I think she feels the same way."  
>Auggie's head jerked up. "How? Did she tell you?"<p>

"Well, no, but –"

"Then how do you know?" Auggie pressed.

"Let me finish," Stu said. " I didn't say anything specific, and though she kept pushing me to tell her exactly what you said, I refused to. And then Jai showed up and spilled the whole thing."

Auggie groaned, "What'd he say?"

"He just asked if Annie figured out you've got a crush on her."

Auggie threw his hands in the air in frustration. "A crush? That's what he said?"

"Yeah."

"How high school of him. Think I should pass her a note asking if she likes me or not, check yes or no?"

"Why don't you just tell her?" Stu asked.

"'Cause I don't want to embarrass myself, of course. She probably doesn't feel the same way, you know."

"I really think she does," Stu said.

At that moment, the door swung open again, and Annie and Amy sauntered in. Bouncing up to Stu, Amy grabbed his arm and started pulling. "Come on, now that I've got a hairbrush, you can braid my hair like you promised to do."

"You're braiding her hair now, Stu?" Augigie asked. "Next you'll be picking out drapes and china patterns."

"Maybe," Stu said as he was shutting the door, "but the benefits are worth it. Why don't you try it sometime?" Then, throwing a wink at Annie, he let Amy lead him down the hallway.

"What was that about?" Annie asked.

"Believe it or not, you and me."

Annie froze for a second. "What about you and me?"

Deciding to take the plunge, given that the gossip mill had them already nearly walking down the aisle together, Auggie said, "Apparently, I've got a thing for you."

Had she been wearing her stilettos, Annie could swear she would have stumbled off of them. Seriously? She'd been trying for the last half hour to get him to admit his feelings for her, and after a minute speaking with Stu, he just comes and blurts it out?

"A thing?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light. "Like, what kind of thing?"

"I think you know what I mean, Annie," Auggie replied.

"Oh, a thing, like what Stu and Jai were talking about this morning over coffee?"

Auggie nodded, hoping against hope he'd made the right decision to broach the subject with her.

"So," Annie said, forcing her words past the sudden lump in her throat. "You're saying it's true? You've got a crush on me?"

Auggie stood and rounded his desk to where she stood. "You could try to make it sound less high school, you know."  
>"I could, yeah, but you're avoiding the question."<p>

Auggie crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against his desk. "I know I am. I'm usually much more confident about things like this, you know. But never before have I –"

"Auggie, please," Annie said.

Auggie shut his eyes at her soft plea. "Yes."

"Yes?" Annie asked, her voice squeaking a bit, her feet taking a half-step toward him.

Auggie nodded, his mouth turning into a smile as he heard her approach. "Yes."

"That's it?" Annie asked, not quite believing the enormous implications of such a small word. "No big speeches, no protestations, no poetry?"

Auggie shook his head, and slowly unfolding his arms, he reached out his hand, face up, toward her. "Yes, Annie. Just, yes."

Staring at his hand stretched out between them, Annie felt her whole world tilt a bit as the future loomed and rested on her next action. There was no other answer, really, no other plausible reaction.

And so she acted. She took another step, her bare feet making hardly a sound on the carpeted floor. In fact, the sound of her breathing and the rushing in her ears as her heart rate accelerated filled her mind as she lay her hand in his.

For more than a couple of seconds, Auggie thought, she didn't feel the same way. She was going to laugh it off and insist on remaining friends. And then his acute hearing caught her sock-covered feet slid against the carpet, and then the softness of her fingers against his palm.

He wanted to grasp her hand and pull her towards him, engulf her in the embrace he'd dreamt about last night, but he let her lead, let her turn their hands until their palms were facing. He bent his fingers until their hands were firmly clasped and gave a small tug.

Annie didn't need much more persuasion. She let herself be drawn to him, and once only a couple of

inches separated them, she grasped his wrist and pulled his other hand up to her face, placing it along her jaw.  
>Auggie tilted her face up, and using the tip of his thumb as a guide, lowered his mouth to hers. Though it didn't have the unexpectedness or surprise of his dream last night, it was just as sweet and soft as he'd imagined. He wanted to explore further, to indulge in a few more of his fantasies, but he decided to wait.<p>

As the kiss broke, Auggie's thumb brushed over her lower lip. "Wow, our first kiss," he said, the corners of his lips curling up. "Not bad, huh?"

Annie giggled, even as his thumb continued the caress. "Our second, actually."

Shaking his head, Auggie said, "I think I'd remember that."

"You were asleep, last night," Annie confessed, squeezing his hand that still clasped hers by their side.

"You kissed me while I was sleeping?" Auggie asked. "How very Sleeping Beauty of you."

Annie laughed and would have buried her head in his neck to hold him tight, but his hand still gripped her jaw. "Auggie?"

He didn't answer, only lowered his head to hers once more.

"Oh, my God, you were right," Amy said, clasping onto Stu's arm and squeezing. They stood across the bullpen, watching their friends as they embraced through the glass.

"Yep, guess I was," Stu said. "Now, come on, spying's not polite."

"Very funny," Amy said, but let herself be pulled away from the romantic scene in front of her. "Think we should tell Jai?"

"No, I'm done with playing Cupid," Stu said, dropping his arm on her shoulders. "Now, were you serious when you said I had to braid your hair?"

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Amy, borrowed hairbrush in hand, fairly tripped into the a/v room and plopped sideways on the couch, folding her legs under her. She knew Stu loved her hair – it was after she'd worn it down for the first time at work that he'd first asked her out months ago. Since then, he always seemed to find an excuse to touch it or, as they were kissing before, grasp it in his hands.

He'd never done this, though, and she was brimming with excitement and, she could confess to herself, desire to have him brush her hair.

Stu nearly laughed aloud at her actions, but he settled on smiling as he took his place behind her. She handed him the brush over her shoulder, and he took it. "If you tell anyone about me doing this, I'm going to break up with you."

"No, you won't," Amy said confidently, shaking her head until all her hair fell down her back.

Stu didn't answer, knowing she was right. He gathered up the fall of dark brown, nearly black tresses in his left hand and slowly ran the brush through. It fell to the middle of her back, the ends curling up. He'd come to love nearly everything about her over the past few months, but what he really fell for first was her hair. When she first came to work there, she always had it up in a bun or some kind of intricate knot at her neck.

Then one day she arrived with it bouncing around her shoulders, and he found himself asking her out later that day. He wasn't sure what he'd do if she ever cut it.

Once the tresses were smooth and nearly crackling with static electricity, he divided it into three equal parts and slowly, from the base of her skull down, began twisting them together.

Amy strived to stay still as Stu brushed and then began braiding her hair. She'd been teasing him before when she said she wanted him to, but now she's glad he took her up on her offer. He'd made no secret of the fact that he loved her hair, and took every possible moment to touch it. Even last night, as they made out on the very couch they were sitting in, he'd grasped it between his fingers, holding her lips to his.

She knew it'd be a mess when she woke up, but at the time, she could care less. As long as he made it up to her every time doing what he was doing right now, he could do it every night. "I'm not going to ask you where you learned how to braid a woman's hair," she teased.

"Good," Stu said with a smile. He was nearly at the end, and he reached his hand out to her, accepting the band she had between her fingers. He tied the ends of her hair together, and then placing his hands on her shoulders, pulled her back until she lay against his chest, and then laid down himself.

Amy settled back on him, her hands against his arms crossed on her chest. "So what's on tap for today?"

"Well, I've been trying to figure out where we could shower."

"We?" Amy asked, wiggling her body against his.

"Amy," Stu growled, locking his legs around hers to keep her still. "The gym has shower facilities. Almost forgot about it."

"I've never been to the gym," Amy said.

"It's pretty well-equipped."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Amy asked, extricating herself from his grip and standing up. "We can stop by our lockers and see if we've got anymore changes of clothes, while we're at it."

"Feeling better?" Stu asked, sitting across from Amy at one of the canteen tables.

"Much, thanks for lending me your sweatshirt," Amy said with a wink.

"You can have anything I own, Amy, you know that."

After taking individual showers – at Stu's insistence – they'd opted to raid the canteen again for lunch. Amy found a stash of her favorite bottled drink – raspberry lemonade – and grabbed a couple of bottles. Since the six of them had cleaned out the ready-made sandwiches last night, they decided to go for the salads, which Amy pointed out, wouldn't be edible after a few days.

Stu tried the same argument regarding a box of doughnuts he found in a refrigerator, but Amy refused to buy it. He grabbed a couple, just the same, though, telling her man cannot live on lettuce alone.

They'd grabbed a table near the windows, and Stu leaned back in his chair, looking out at the altered landscape. The snow had stopped, but the wind still blew hard, scouring the white landscape. He thought back on his previous plans for this weekend – Amy's birthday, the present he still had tucked in his gym bag, and his proposal of having her move in with him. It'd taken him a while to get up the courage to ask her this weekend, and now it seemed he'd have to wait.

Amy caught the worried, almost sad look on Stu's face. His wide brown eyes hooded as they looked out the window. "Stu?" she asked.

"Sorry your birthday weekend is a bust," he said, looking back to her.

"It's okay," she said, reaching across to place her hand on his. "I was planning on spending the day with you, so at least part of my plan has worked out."

He still looked sad, and a sudden realization came to her. "You weren't planning anything special, were you?" she asked.

The disappointed look on his face gave her the answer. "It's okay," she said with an encouraging smile. "Maybe we can just put it off 'til next weekend?"

Stu returned her smile, "Okay."

The opening of the canteen doors pulled her gazes away from each other, and they watched as Annie, Auggie, Jai and Jennifer walked in. Both Stu and Amy saw that Auggie and Annie's hands were firmly clasped together, but didn't say anything, only shared a secret smile.

The couple disappeared into the canteen kitchen, and Jai and Jennifer joined Stu and Amy at the table. Jai looked full to bursting with questions.

"What happened with those two?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Annie found out Auggie had a crush on her," Stu said simply.

"Huh," Jai said, chuckling. "Didn't waste any time, did they?"

"Would you?" Amy teased.

"Of course not," Jai said. Then, with a sidelong glance to the other woman sitting across him at the table, he continued, "Once I decide what I want, I just go for it."

Jennifer caught the look on Jai's face and the not-so-subtle meaning behind his words. She'd tried to tell herself not to get too caught up in the handsome man's incessant flirting, but ever since last night she found herself thinking more and more about him.

"I'm going to go get some food," she said, opting for a quick retreat before she said something she'd regret.

A few minutes later, the group were sat around the table eating. The crunch of six salads being devoured echoed in the empty room.

"I've talked to Joan again this morning," Auggie told everyone. "Since the snow's slacked off, snow clearing equipment should arrive soon."

Jai chuckled, and after swallowing the food in his mouth, said, "Along with snow clearing personnel, right?"  
>Annie frowned at the man across the table. "Yes, of course, Jai. We wouldn't want to damage that manicure of yours, now, would we?"<p>

Before Jai could retort, Jennifer piped up, "Couldn't we help shovel?"

Auggie raised his hand, "I've got a doctor's note."

Stu, Amy and Annie laughed, and Jai turned to the tall brunette across the table from him. "Why should we have to? There are people who are paid to do that."

Jennifer dropped her fork into her plastic tray of lettuce and tomatoes. "Excuse me, but 'people'?"

Jai cast a knowing and smirking look at her. "Yes, well-paid and highly trained people. They'll get us out of here."

Auggie couldn't see the animosity between the two arguing people, but he heard it all the same in their words and tone. He surreptitiously squeezed Annie's arm and nodded his head towards them. Annie noted the tension in the room, coupled by both their words and the anger growing on Jennifer's face and returned Auggie's squeeze in a move that said she'd fill him in later.

"Well, you can sit in here in the warmth and comfort, but once they get here, I'm going out to help. Or did you expect them to stop what they're doing and clean all of our cars off, as well?" Jennifer asked, not backing down from Jai's smirking know-it-all face.

"Well, no, of course not, but –" Jai sputtered, the smile slipping.

"Then that settles it. I'm going to go rest up until then," she said, gathering up the remnants of her lunch and leaving. Not a word was said at the table until the doors shut behind her.

Amy spoke first, "You should go after her, Jai."

"What?" he asked, disbelievingly. "Why?"

"Because you upset her," she said. When Jai still looked at her, she continued, "And you're interested in her, right?"  
>Jai blinked at the petite woman's frankness. "Well, yes, I was, at first, but then she opened her mouth and began talking."<p>

Stu nearly choked on the donut he was eating, and Amy laughed as she handed him his soda bottle.

"What's wrong with you now?" Jai asked, his annoyance at his fellow inmates growing by the second.

"Nothing," Stu said when he was able to talk again. "It's just, Amy said the same thing about me before we started dating."

They all started laughing but Jai, who shook his head at the group and got up to leave. "Well, all of you are welcome to break your backs shoveling, but personally, I'm settling in for another 48 hours."

The laughter died down a bit as the doors shut behind Jai. Auggie dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, extracting a neatly folded bill. "Okay, I got 20 on Jai and Jennifer dating by this time next week."

Later that day, as the sky darkened, and no sign of snow-clearing equipment could be seen, Stu and Amy were back in the a/v room. Amy took up residence at the computer, and Stu sat on the couch, the box that housed his birthday present to Amy in his hands. She may have said she could wait until next week to celebrate, but he didn't want to.  
>Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Stu opened the box and walked up behind her. "Amy, close your eyes."<br>When she did, he wrapped his arms around her, the box open in front of her face. "Happy birthday, Amy."

"Stu, my birthday's not until tomorrow," Amy said, not opening her eyes, but leaning her head back towards his.

"So you don't want your present now?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she said quickly.

"Then open your eyes," he whispered.

Amy did as he asked and blinked a couple of times, as she saw the small open box sitting in his palm. "Oh, my God," she breathed. On a bed of blue velvet, a pair of brilliant emerald earrings sat, sparkling in the dim light of the room. "Stu, they're beautiful."

"I wanted to get you something special," Stu said, placing the box in her hands as she reached up to him. "When I saw them in the store, I knew they were made for you. Your eyes are the same color."

Amy held the box in her hands delicately, not believing the extravagance and thoughtfulness of Stu's gift. She ran her fingertips across the faceted gems, and turning her head to his, pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

Stu came around to the side of her chair and took the box out of her hands. With a delicate touch, he removed the earrings from their holder and placed them in her ears. Once he was done, he held her face in his hands, smiling at the fact that he chose right. The gems were a perfect match to her coloring, and though nothing could match the expressiveness of her eyes, they did well at enhancing them.

Amy leaned forward to kiss him her thanks, but he shook his head. "That's not all."

"There's more?" Amy whispered.

Stu nodded, and releasing her face, he placed his hands in hers, more to stop the slight trembling in his hands as his nervousness began to show. "I'd wanted to do this at my place or yours, but I can't wait until next week."

"Stu, what is it?" Amy asked, her own body vibrating with excitement.

Closing his eyes, Stu said quickly, "Would you like to move in with me?"

Amy gasped, and were he not holding onto her hands, she'd be clapping them to her face in astonishment. She knew from his demeanor the entire day he'd been planning something special for her birthday, but she'd never expected this. She began to imagine them both together, in his each other's arms, in bed making love, in the bathroom brushing their teeth together, on the couch watching tv, and even together pushing a cart down the aisle at the local grocery store. It seemed like such a dream, but he was offering to make it into a reality.

"Yes."

Stu's eyes snapped open at her whispered answer. Did he hear her right? "What?"

"Yes, I want to live with you," Amy said louder, the words sounding even more wonderful as she repeated them.  
>"You do?" Stu said, and then as she nodded, he dropped her hands and reached for her face, pulling it towards him in a searing kiss, sealing the deal.<p>

When he pulled away, Amy asked, "This was the big plan you had for this weekend?"

"Yep."

"You are, without question, the best boyfriend in the world, you know that?" Amy said. Then, with a smile, she asked, "There is one thing, though."

"Name it."

"Could we live at my place?"

Stu thought he'd live in a shack down the river if she'd agreed to share it with him, but teased, "And what's wrong with my apartment?"

"Nothing. Your apartment is beautiful, wonderful, but if you'll remember, my house has a whirlpool and a backyard," she said, batting her eyes at him.

Stu nodded. She had a point. "Okay, you're right. But you've gotta ask me."

Rolling her eyes at him, Amy said, "Agreed, but you know, I'm not so sure now."

"What?"

"Stu, this is a big step," she said, half teasing, half serious. "I mean," her voice dropped to a whisper as all the implications of what they were discussing began to well up in her, "we haven't even had sex yet. What if you don't like it? Then you'll be stuck with me, and –"

Stu stood suddenly, bringing Amy up with him as his hands were still along her jaw, and stopped her words with his mouth as it angled over hers. Not like sex with her? he thought. He'd been desiring her and fantasizing about doing just that for weeks now. Not like sex with Amy? The idea seemed ridiculous coming out of her mouth, but as he kept repeating the words in his mind, it started to border on preposterous.

Never breaking the kiss, he dropped his hands from her jaw to her hips, pulling her towards him in a possessive grip. Her arms draped across his shoulders, and he bent his knees slightly before running his hands across the smooth roundness of her butt. With one strong move, he lifted her, straightening his legs as hers wrapped quickly around his hips.

The sudden movement caused Amy to squeal a bit as she was taken off guard, but she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck to steady her. The sudden move broke their kiss, and Amy moaned as Stu's mouth moved across the long line of her neck to where it met her shoulder. When his tongue flicked out to taste her skin, she shivered helplessly.

She felt them moving, and she opened her eyes to see that he was walking them both to the couch. He sat down, with Amy perched on his thighs, her body dangerously close to pressing fully against his. His hands grasped the hem of her shirt, and with one deft move, he lifted, divesting her of it.

Amy shivered in anticipation and leaned forward into his body, as his hands slid up her spine and down, alighting every nerve ending. "Stu?" she asked, her voice husky. "I thought you wanted to wait until we were home."  
>Pulling back just enough so that he could look at her face, Stu looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Amy. You know that, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. Starting right now."<p>

Amy nodded, and reaching down, pulled his shirt off, as well, and wrapped her arms around him, their chest pressed together. Stu groaned at the exquisite contact and buried his face in her neck.

"Stu?" Amy whispered.

"Hmm?" Stu answered, his hands moving up her torso.

"Would you like to move in with me?"

Instead of answering, Stu turned them both quickly, laying Amy down on the couch and nestling his body over hers. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist, and given their lack of attire, he felt his desire rising to new heights.

"Is that a yes?" Amy asked, even ask Stu dropped his mouth on hers, his hands moving down her sides to the waistband of her sweatpants.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Jai whistled to himself as he headed out of the elevator and down the hallway to the lounge he and Jennifer had called their home for the past two days. He made a foray to the canteen to get them some coffee and hoped the gesture of goodwill would ease some of the iciness he'd felt from her ever since yesterday at lunch.

Amy had prompted him to go after her after she'd stormed off, and he did, but other than apologizing, he wasn't sure what else he could do or say. She was stubborn, and though she accepted his apology, didn't offer one more bit of conversation the entire time.

When he entered the lounge, he found Jennifer maneuvering herself into what seemed to be a bright red adult onesie. Given the layers of clothing she already had on, she was squirming and hopping to fit it over her legs and up and around her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Jennifer turned to see Jai in the doorway, two cups of coffee in his hands. "The snow guys have arrived," she said with an excited smile.

"And you've decided to celebrate by dressing up as a Teletubbie?" he asked, taking in her outfit from head to toe with appreciative eye. Now that she had it on and zipped, it could pass for a somewhat stylish ski outfit.

"Actually, what I'd really like to do is run through the snow, make a snow fort and a few snow angels, but we should work on getting ourselves out of here first. The snow isn't going to go away overnight. There's plenty of time to play later," she said. Then, picking up the pile of red fabric she laid on the couch, she turned back to him.

"I found a second one, if you want to join me," she said, hesitantly. In fact, she'd searched for it down in her weapons lab. Most of the other guys she worked with were shorter or rounder than Jai, and she'd had to scrounge to find one that would have fit him. And she prayed now that he would take it; that he would put away that stuffy exterior he put up and become the man she'd glimpsed a few times over the past couple of days.

Jai sat the coffees down before crossing the room to her. He knew by the tone in her voice and the way she looked at him so expectantly that this was a do-or-die moment for them. She'd laid down the gauntlet yesterday, given him time to think about it, and now given him an ultimatum. He somehow knew that if he didn't take that red coverall from her hands and join her in shoveling out his car, he'd probably never see her again once they left.

He took a breath, wishing he could just take back his words from yesterday. Had she been willing to talk to him or even just listen yesterday, he'd explain to her that he didn't think he was too good to do menial work. He just wasn't a fan of snow or the cold, in general. He much preferred a warm, dry, desert type of climate.

He'd gotten that trait from his mother, he figured. Another trait he'd gotten from her were manners and chivalry, and he'd be damned if he sat in the cozy, warm environment while she went outside to break her back moving two feet of snow in frigid temperatures.

"Do you mind if I drink my coffee first?" he said, taking the outfit from her. The relief he saw on her face, coupled by the return of her smile when he first came in the room softened her face, and if possible, made her even more beautiful. "I – umm, I got you one, too, if you want it."

"Oh, thanks," Jennifer said, picking it up and removing the lid. "I'd been so excited to get out in the snow that I didn't even think about breakfast."

Jai chuckled as he took a drink of his own coffee. "How can you be so excited? It's just snow."

"It's beautiful, though," Jennifer said.

"Even when it cripples an entire city?" Jai asked.

"It's only for a couple of days. It'll melt. It always does," she said, putting her now empty coffee cup on the table. "Now, get dressed. I'll meet you outside."

By the time the elevator made it down to the main floor, Jennifer was fairly jumping up and down, though not entirely with excitement of going outside. She'd been cooped up inside for two days, and she longed to work off some nervous energy.

The doors slid open, and she hurried down the hallway to the front doors. She came to a stop, though, when she saw the rest of the blizzard inmates standing there, all bundled up in the same makeshift fashion that she was.

"Have you all decided to shovel snow with me?" she asked.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun," Auggie said. "I take it you couldn't talk Jai into joining us?"

"As a matter of fact, he's –"

"Late to the party, it seems," Jai said, walking up to them, pulling his leather gloves on.

Annie tried to hide her astonishment at Jai's arrival, though she was secretly glad that he seemed to have made up with Jennifer after their argument yesterday. She couldn't, however, stifle the giggle at the sight of the man. He wore his black wool coat that fit well over his broad shoulders and came down to his knees, but sticking out of the V of the collar, and his lower legs were a bright red material.

"What are you wearing, Jai?" she couldn't help but ask.

"The latest in snow shoveling gear," he retorted. "Actually, these are really warm. Great idea of yours, Jennifer." Looking around at the huddled group, he thought they looked like a community theater band of actors portraying a winter version of "Rent." In addition to the winter coats, hats and gloves, they'd also donned, it seemed, every other piece of clothing they could find.

"I see the snowplows out there now, clearing the main road. What do you say we start on clearing the cars off first?" he said, opening the door and trudging out into the snowdrifts that had blew into the overhang.

After they'd made a walkway of sorts through the couple of feet of snow from the doorway to the parking lot, the group decided to all work together clearing off one car at a time instead of each doing their own individual vehicles. Jai insisted they do his first, and after a bit of complaining and barbs from Auggie mainly, he pointed out that, if the crews weren't able to clear the roads completely, his large vehicle would be able to get them all home safely.  
>Jennifer had been able to flag down one of the snowplows and got a small shovel and broom off of them, and coupled with the ice scraperbrush Jai had in the back, they started in.

Auggie stayed close to Annie, pointing out to the rest of them that he didn't want to lose his footing or wind up throwing snow where it didn't belong. He wasn't fooling the rest of the group, though, who were so engrossed in their duties, didn't notice when Annie, pretending to brush some snow that had fallen on his collar, snuck in a quick kiss.  
>On the other side of the large vehicle, Stu and Amy worked side-by-side, still so caught up in each other and the milestone they'd reached in their relationship the night before, couldn't bear to be away from each other. Stu had let Amy have the ice scraperbrush to clear off the snow on the sides while he used his height to push off the snow on the roof.

Shovel in hand, Jai was removing the snow that had piled up in front of his vehicle and around the tires. As Jennifer moved closer to him to work on a new portion of the hood of his car, he reached out to touch her sleeve. Leaning in close, he motioned to the other couples on either side of the car and whispered, "Guess our friends used their time being cooped up together to their full advantage."

Jennifer followed his gaze to Stu and Amy to her left and Annie and Auggie to her right. All four of them were working hard, but she noticed, as well, the warm smiles between them and the obvious attraction. "Weren't they all together before?" she whispered back, resuming her snow clearing.

Jai shook his head and whispered, "Annie and Auggie, no, but if you had to ask me, it was inevitable. Stu and Amy had been dating, I know, but look at them. They can hardly keep their hands off each other. Something went on down that old a/v room, I can tell."

Jennifer smiled at the happiness radiating from all four of them, and felt a bit of sadness that the snowstorm had brought her not joy, but heartbreak. "They look very happy together."

Though she was smiling, Jai could see that it did not reach her eyes. "Hey, don't feel bad about Derek. I don't know much about the man except what you told me, but if he's willing to strand you here without a second thought, he's a coward and a fool."

"What do you mean by that?" Jennifer asked, turning around to face him.

Straightening, Jai lean against his shovel. He'd somehow gotten on her bad side again, given the way her eyes were snapping at him. "You're the one who broke up with him, Jennifer," he reminded her.

"I know that, but you don't know him. Hell, you've never met him. Where do you get off calling him a fool?" she asked, her voice raising a bit.

"He stranded you here, if you don't remember. If it hadn't been for me, you'd still be standing by that door, waiting for him to pick you up," he said.

Neither Jai nor Jennifer noticed that the other members of their group had stopped working at their raised voices and were turned to them and listening.

"You arrogant jerk! You know, I thought that maybe all the gossip and rumors about you were just that, and that maybe there was something of a nice guy under all that charm, but they were right, weren't they?" she said, fighting an urge to slap him across the face. "You just think the entire world revolves around you, don't you? And every woman should just fall at your feet if you so much as smile at her."

"What?" Jai replied harshly. "Where did all this come from? I'm the one who –"

"I don't want to hear it!" Jennifer shouted. "Every other sentence that comes out of your mouth begins with the letter 'I,' doesn't it? You know what, I'm done."

Stomping past him, Jennifer walked as quickly as she could manage through their makeshift walkway back into the building.

Jai's fingers clenched around the handle of the shovel, wondering where he'd gone wrong this time. She frustrated him like no other woman he'd ever met.

"Jai?"

Turning around, he found Annie had approached him.

"You know what you have to do, right?"

"Annie, I'm not going to spend my life chasing after her," he said.

"I'm not telling you to chase after her. I don't even know what that was about," she said. "Who's Derek?"

Jai sighed, "Her boyfriend, or rather, her ex-boyfriend. He was supposed to pick her up Friday and never showed. She broke up with him over the phone."

"That was only two days ago, Jai. Don't you think she's still a bit heartbroken over that fact?" she asked gently.

"I guess, but –"

"And don't you think calling him names and deriding him in front of her would get her upset?" she continued.

"He stranded her here, Annie!" Jai pointed out. "If I hadn't ran into her as I was leaving, she might have tried to go out in the snow herself to catch a cab or something. She could have gotten injured or lost or –" His voice broke off.

Annie nodded, a slow smile coming to her face. "What you're saying is that you care for her."

Jai scoffed. "I only met her two days ago, Annie."

"Two days, two years, what's the difference? She seems to have your number, and if she's put up with you this long and obviously seen past that megawatt smile you normally give when meeting beautiful women, I think you're making a big mistake by letting her go," Annie said.

Jai looked around at the rest of the group who had stopped their snow clearing and walked up to them during their conversation. As he met the eyes of every one of them, they smiled and nodded their agreement with Annie.

Stu walked up to him and took the shovel out of his hands. "We're almost done here, anyway. Go. We'll finish up and see you inside."

Jai nodded and began trudging back to the building, using the time to figure out what to say to her.

Jennifer stood in the lobby of the building, tugging at the fastenings of her red coverall. Though her coat, which lay on the bench to dry out, had taken the brunt of the snow, the legs of the coverall were wet and cold.

She'd gotten it unbuttoned, but given her many layers, had a hard time peeling it away from her shoulders and down her arms. She heard the front door open, but she refused to turn around; refused to acknowledge the fact that Jai had followed her inside.

She kept trying to peel the material off her shoulders with little result. Her efforts, though, ceased when she felt hands on her collar. A small part of her wanted her to shrug away from him, but she held still as he separated the bright red coverall from the sweatshirt across her shoulders and pulled it down.

Jai breathed a small sigh of relief as she allowed him to help her. When the material was again loose enough for her to continue herself, he took a step back and began to remove his own snow-covered clothes.

"Did you hear how I started out at the CIA?" he asked, peeling off his gloves and laying them on the bench alongside her coat to dry.

Jennifer smirked, "Your father got you the job, didn't he?"

"If only. He left my mother and I when I was young, and she took us back to India. Though she wanted nothing more to do with him, she did allow us to have a relationship. I looked up to him as a sort of superhero, traveling all over the world and saving countless people's lives. I'd wanted nothing more than to grow up like him."

Jennifer had by this time shimmied out of her coverall and slipped off her shoes, putting both of them on the bench, as well. She took a seat, listening as he continued.

Jai shrugged out of his jacket and began unbuttoning his coverall. "All through school, university and after, I did everything I could to prepare myself to join. When the time came to apply, I contacted him to tell him of my decision. His response was – well, I guess you could say he wasn't all that welcoming."

"Why?" Jennifer asked.

Jai shook his head. "I don't know. All I do know is that, in that one phone call, the fantasy I had of my father burst quickly. He was the Director of Clandestine Operations by that time, and as he said, had more important things to do than hold his son's hand while he tried to play with the big boys."

"I didn't know that," Jennifer said quietly.

Jai shrugged, "Not many people do."

Jennifer opened her mouth to ask why he was telling her, then, but she didn't get a chance to question his motives, as he continued to speak.

"I was angry at first. I didn't expect him to throw his arms around me and promise an easy ride. I just wanted to work for my country and be the kind of man I knew he was, even if he didn't want me to. So I applied, was accepted and excelled all the way through the Farm and all the tests. I kept him apprised of my progress, but more out of politeness than anything."

By this time, Jai had divested himself of all his wet clothing and sat down next to Jennifer on the bench, leaning his elbows on his knees. "I hadn't thought of the fact that I was the Director's son when I started as an agent. But believe me, enough gossip and rumors had started already that no matter what I said, people had already had their minds made up about me. I decided, for the sake of goodwill and peace of mind to just let them think what they want. I knew the truth, and that's all that mattered."

His story finished, Jai kept his eyes on his hands, wondering if his efforts to share more of himself with her would somehow burst that image of him that she held. They'd gotten off on the wrong foot from day one, and he hoped that this one, last effort to be open and honest would work. Annie's words held a bit of truth earlier, he knew. He did come to care for her in their short time together, and it wasn't just physical. Her humor, bravado and love of life attracted him like no one else he'd ever met.

So now he waited, his olive branch extended, for her to respond.

"Do you ever get to see your mother?"

Jai looked over at her, her eyes full of understanding and – was that concern?

"I make it a point to go visit her every year, and I usually call her once a week. She's probably wondering what's happened, since I missed doing that yesterday, but hopefully she's seen the news about the snow and will understand."

"She will," Jennifer nodded, reaching over to place her hand on his clasped ones. "She's raised a fine son."

Jai nodded, an unaccustomed feeling welling up in his chest at her soft touch. He'd hardly ever received compassion or understanding from others when it came to his life. Most people he met came with preconceived notions that he found it hard to break past.

"Thanks, Jennifer. I'll tell her that when I speak to her next."

Smiling, she gave his hands a squeeze before standing and walking over to the glass doors. She watched as the large, bulky snowplow lumbered its way along, pushing mounds of snow ahead of it. "Do you ever think we'll get out of here?"

"We will," Jai assured her. "And when we do, maybe you could give Derek a call, you know, and –"

"That'll never happen," Jennifer interrupted. "We were on the verge prior to Friday. It was just the last straw."  
>Jai nodded, and before he could make another remark about the foolishness of the man, remembered Annie's words. Though she put up a brave front, a breakup was a breakup, and she probably needed time to get over him before thinking about moving on to someone else. He just hoped he was the one she turned to at the time.<p>

"Jai, are you –" Jennifer hesitated, wondering if it was a good idea to do this now, when their situation was so out of the normal and unconventional. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she said, "Are you seeing anyone?"  
>She was still staring out the door as she spoke, else she wouldn't see Jai nearly fall off the bench as she asked the question. He quickly recovered, though, and responded. "No, no, I'm not."<p>

Jennifer nodded, keeping her countenance and body language casual though internally a little happiness balloon burst. Then a rivulet of nervousness ran down her spine as she wondered what to do next. Should she make the first move? Should she do it now, or wait until they were all rescued and in more normal circumstances?

She needn't have worried, though, as Jai stood and walked up next to her, looking out at the view. The rest of their group, apparently, had finished clearing the snow off his car and were trudging back through the snow to the building. "Would you like to have dinner with me? When we get out of here?"

Jennifer wasn't sure if she should trust her voice to answer, but a quick swallow and deep breath prior helped keep her tone light. "Yes, I would."

She looked up at him as she said it, and Jai so wanted to envelope her in his arms at that moment, he had to clench his fingers into his palm to stop himself. He did settle for reaching out and taking her hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers. Their happy moment ended as Annie and Auggie, and then Stu and Amy entered.

Jai pulled on Jennifer's hand to keep them both away from the flying bits of snow as the four of them started to stamp the snow off their feet and divest themselves of their coats.

As she did so, Annie noticed them standing off to the side, their hands clasped together, and Jai wearing what she could only term as a genuine smile. She'd only seen it a few times, and it was a far cry from the one he usually brought out when he turned his charm on. She pretended not to notice, though, and took a step toward Auggie to help him off with his coat.

"Hey, Auggie, guess you won the bet," she whispered in his ear.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Annie gingerly pulled her sweatshirt off, laying it on the utilitarian counter. The light in the women's restroom wasn't the best, but she leaned into the mirror, raising her arm to ascertain the bruising she'd sustained last week. It had started to fade, but still was ugly.

Plus, the snow shoveling she did that morning made her back and knee tighten up even more. She hadn't even bothered to try to put her bra on the past two days, given how comfortable she felt when she took it off Friday night.  
>The door creaking open made her jump a little, and she automatically crossed her arms in front of her.<p>

"Annie?"

"Auggie, you ever hear of knocking?" Annie asked, keeping her arms covering her breasts before she realized the ridiculousness of the move. She dropped them, keeping a sidelong glance on the man who stepped into the room.  
>"I didn't know where you were," he replied, walking toward her voice. He leaned against the counter next to her.<p>

"Just getting ready to go to sleep," Annie said. "Brushing my teeth and changing."

She reached over to grab her t-shirt and groaned as the movement exacerbated her sore side.

"Did you get hurt shoveling the snow?" he asked.

"A bit," Annie admitted. "But we had no choice, right? It had to be done. Just wish I were home right now with my heating pad."

"Stiffened up, huh?" Auggie asked, pushing himself off the counter and approaching her. He didn't even bother allowing her to answer, just reached out a hand until his fingers hit her upper arm. He used it as a guide and ran both hands up to her shoulders where he began kneading the knotted muscles.

He'd ran his fingers from her neck down to her shoulders a few times before his eyes went wide and his hands froze on her skin. "You – you don't have a shirt on," he said quietly.

Annie's eyes stared at his thunderstruck face in their reflection. It mirrored her own expression. "I told you I was getting dressed."

"Were you going to just stand there and talk to me without saying anything about it?" he asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

The sexual tension broke a bit, and Annie teased, "I didn't know you were going to get so handsy, or else I would have."

"And now that I have?" Auggie asked, throwing her a wink into the mirror as his fingers trailed over her shoulders.  
>Annie rolled her eyes at him and reached again for her shirt, the step pulling her away from his touch. She pulled it over her head and turned, leaning against the counter as she faced him. Auggie reached out a hand again, but this time his hand touched soft cotton on her shoulder.<p>

"Spoilsport."

"You really want this to happen in a CIA restroom?" Annie asked.

"Actually," Auggie said, his hand dropping down to his side again, "I want it to happen while I'm laying you down on silken sheets and down pillows. But I also want it to happen while I'm wrapping your legs around my waist and taking you against the wall."

A slight intake of air was the only response he got, and he smiled. "Have I shocked you?"

"Just how long have you had this crush on me?" Annie asked, trying to keep the charged atmosphere from exploding between them.

Auggie eyes narrowed. "Crush?" He took a step nearer, then another until only a few scant inches separated them.  
>Annie was backed up against the counter. They weren't touching, not at all, but she still felt like a butterfly mounted on the wall.<p>

"You think this is a crush?" Auggie asked, his voice even and steady, but Annie heard the intensity in his words. "Walking barefoot through a morgue with you, was that a crush? Covering up your trail as you went rogue with Mercer, was that a crush? Leaving bread crumbs for you to follow when I went off with Tash, was that a crush? Giving you my number and tagging you when you went off to Sri Lanka, was that a crush? Covering for you for a month after when you cried at the drop of a hat, was that a crush? Waiting for you here with blizzard warnings buzzing in my ear, knowing I should go home, but couldn't unless I knew you were safe, tell me, Annie, do you really think this is just a crush?"

Annie's mouth dropped open at his words, her breathing shallow and body humming because of his nearness. She waited. Waited for him to say something else, touch her, kiss her, hell, maybe even laugh and say he was kidding.  
>But he did none of those things. He only stood so close to her, his face showing barely repressed desire, want, and maybe she was projecting her own feelings here, but was that love in his eyes?<p>

She remembered earlier when he'd simply held his hand out to her and said yes. He was doing it again. Yet this time, he'd laid himself bare, opened himself up and offered himself to her. And waited.

He was putting the control in her hands and not pushing. He never pushed, never forced her. When she first heard from Stu that Auggie's feelings mirrored her own, she felt angry that Auggie never said or did anything in the past, but now she knew why.

He was waiting for her to come to him, waiting for her to be ready.

She must have been standing there, drowning in her own thoughts and the intensity of his desire for a second too long, for she saw a flicker of doubt cross his face, and a sort of shadow dimmed his chocolate brown eyes. He began to move back, and her heart shouted at her, no!

Her hands flew up and grabbed his head, bringing his lips to her own. He must have been startled by her actions, for he didn't move as she brushed her lips across his once, twice.

By the third time, his hands were in her hair, as well, clenching, tilting her head to return the hot caress. They kissed and tasted each other until the breath had gone out of both of them, and they parted, foreheads touching.

"Not a crush, then?" Annie breathed, smiling.

Auggie chuckled, his shoulders shaking. "No. It might have been at the beginning, but now? No."

"Same here," Annie confessed, running her fingers through his hair, tucking the longish curling bits behind his ears.

"I hoped," Auggie said, a wide smile lighting up his face. "I wasn't sure, but I did hope."

Annie pressed her lips against his once more before leaning over to grab her bag off the counter. "Come on," she said, lacing her fingers with hers. "Let's go to bed."

"That's the best thing I've heard all weekend," Auggie said with a wink.

"Auggie!"

Stu walked into the a/v room after taking his turn in the nearby restroom to brush his teeth and change clothes. He only had socks and sweatpants on, given Amy's insistence that she wasn't returning his shirt anytime soon. He saw her sitting cross-legged on the couch, a pad on her lap and a pencil twirling in her fingers. She seemed to be thinking hard about something.

He dropped down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Hey," he said, pressing a kiss into her hair.  
>"Hey."<p>

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at the paper.

"Writing a list," Amy said, leaning back into his embrace. "What I'll need to do when you move in."

"I don't need much room," Stu said. "Just a drawer and a space on your bed."

He plucked the pad and pencil from her and laid them on the table beside the couch. "I just remembered, today's your birthday."

"You just now remembered?" Amy teased. "Some boyfriend you are."

"Well, we did celebrate yesterday, if you'll remember," he said, tightening his arm around her shoulder. "Not sure what else there is to do. I didn't see any cake in the canteen or candles."

"That's okay, you can make it up to me," Amy said, turning and wrapping her arms around his waist. She did have one idea of how they could celebrate her actual birthday, but last night's miraculous and beautiful night on the couch, though wonderful, was a bit awkward. They both agreed to wait until they got home before partaking in it again.  
>She began to wonder if there was any alcohol stashed in the building anywhere when she heard something.<p>

"Happy birthday to you…"

"Stu, what are you doing?"

"Shh, I'm singing. Happy birthday to you…"

Amy closed her eyes and listened as Stu, very softly, but sweetly, sang Happy Birthday to her. She'd never heard him sing before, and she nearly held her breath listening.

"Happy birthday, my love, happy birthday to you."

Amy looked up into his face as he ended, "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she said, blinking back a few tears that threatened to spill out.

Stu tipped her chin up and kissed her. "So I spent several hundred dollars on emerald earrings for nothing? I could have just sang to you?"

"No!" Amy said, laughing. "I love the earrings. I'm never taking them out."

"That's better. So," he said, settling himself down on the couch, pulling her alongside, "we're moving in together. Think we should tell anyone?"

Amy shook her head against his shoulder. "No, they'd just start asking questions about when the wedding is, and do we plan on having kids, and so on."

"Mm, I wouldn't mind having children with you. They'd have my brains and your eyes."

"Ugh, I'd rather they have my brains and your eyes. Yours are prettier."

"Amy, what have I said about calling men pretty?" Stu said, running his hand over the braid that ran down her back.  
>"Not to do it in front of others?" Amy teased. Then, as his hand grabbed and tugged on her braid, she said, "Okay, okay, men aren't pretty. They're ugly." Another tug. "Ow, okay, okay. Men are handsome, sexy, gorgeous."<p>

"That's better," Stu said, releasing his hold on her braid and running his hand down until he got to the band that held it together at the end. He released it and began running his hands through her hair, undoing the braid until the length of it spread over his arm.

"But I do want our kids to have your eyes," she said. "And they'd be smart, no matter what."

Stu laughed, "How did we get on this topic, anyway?"

"I don't know. I haven't even figured out how I'm going to fit all of your stuff into my house. And don't give me that 'I just need a drawer' stuff. I've seen your DVD collection."

"We'll figure it out, Amy," Stu said, reaching for the blanket that covered the back of the couch. He draped it over both of them. "The only important thing is we're together. Nothing can stop us."

Jennifer was working on her book of crossword puzzles when she heard a cellphone tone. Hers was turned off, she knew, and she looked around, thinking maybe Jai had left his on somewhere. He'd left the lounge a few minutes ago, talking about wanting to get some water and then getting ready to go to sleep. After the tone, which she noted came from his bag seated beside the couch, sounded a few more times, it ceased.

Shrugging her shoulders, she returned to her crossword. A few moments later, though, the tone sounded again. Apparently the person calling didn't believe in voicemail, she thought. After the second tone, she got up off the couch and headed for the gym bag.

She wasn't sure how long Jai would be gone, and hearing the tone sound over and over again was slightly annoying.  
>She found it and answered it on the fourth tone. "Hello?"<p>

"Hello," came a accented woman's voice on the other end of the line. "Who is this?"

Jennifer's eyebrows rose. "Umm, I'm Jennifer Barnes. May I ask who's calling?"

"Where is my Jaiya?" the woman asked, her voice at once worried and insistent.

"You mean Jai? He's in the restroom, I believe."

"Oh, thank the heavens," the woman said. "I have been so worried. He usually calls by now, and when he hadn't, I thought something had happened to him."

Jennifer's mind thought back to the conversation she'd had with Jai earlier in the day. "Are you Jai's mother?"

"Oh, yes, where are my manners? I am Jai's mother, yes. He has said to only call this number in an emergency, but when he didn't call yesterday, I got the worst feeling."

"He's been stuck at work. The snowstorm stranded a bunch of us," Jennifer said.

"You work with my Jaiya?" she asked.

"Not directly, no. I'm – I'm in a different department," Jennifer hedged, wondering how much Jai's mother actually knew about what he did for a living.

"So you are not an officer, risking your life every day?" she asked.

Well, that answered that question, Jennifer thought with a smile. "No, ma'am. I work in weapons technology."

"Oh, my," Jai's mother replied. "Very impressive. Tell me, how has my Jaiya been? I've been so worried about him."  
>"Jai's doing very well," Jennifer said.<p>

"And you have been staying there with him this whole time?"

"Well, yes," Jennifer said. "But he's been a gentleman, believe me."

"I would expect nothing else," Jai's mother said. "But I do worry that he is still alone. I would have hoped by this time to have grandchildren. Tell me, Jennifer, are you single?"

Jai opened the door to the lounge to see Jennifer standing in the middle of the room talking into his cellphone. The look on her face was a mix of laughter and shock, and he wondered who she was talking to.

"Oh, Jai's just walked in. I'll let you talk to him," Jennifer said, holding the phone out to him. "It's your mother."

Jai dropped his bag by the door and walked across, taking the cellphone out of her hands. Jennifer gladly gave it up and returned to the couch, picking her crosswords back up with shaking fingers. She watched Jai as he began talking to his mother, wondering if the woman was going to repeat to him what she just had told her.

She couldn't tell from his responses whether she had or not, so she stopped eavesdropping and returned to her book.  
>A few minutes later, she heard him say good-bye and walk back over to the couch, dropping his cellphone back into his bag. "Guess she didn't hear about the snowstorm," he said. "I told her only to use that number for emergencies."<p>

"Yeah, she told me," Jennifer said.

"What else did she tell you?" Jai asked, smiling at her. "You looked like a deer caught in headlights when I walked in."  
>"Oh, nothing," Jennifer said, averting her eyes.<p>

Jai cocked his head at her. "Jennifer, I know my mother. What did she say?"

"Well, that she was worried about you," Jennifer hedged, then when Jai kept looking at her, added, "And she wondered if you were seeing anyone."

Jai threw back his head and laughed. "Yeah, that's usually the second thing she asks me. The first is if I'm okay."

"She is a force of nature," Jennifer said with a smile.

"So, what did you tell her?"

"Huh?" Jennifer asked.

"When she asked if I were seeing anyone, what did you tell her?"

"Nothing. You walked in," Jennifer said.

"Oh, well, at least I'll have an answer for her the next time she calls," Jai said.

Jennifer's eyebrows rose at his statement. "We agreed to one date, Jai."

"Only one? What am I going to tell my mother?" Jai teased.

"That she'll have to wait a bit longer for grandchildren, for one," Jennifer replied. Setting aside her book, she grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and began to settle down into the cushions.

"Maybe not," Jai said. "Who knows what'll happen on our 'one date.'"

"Dinner and a movie, if you're lucky," Jennifer teased.

Jai laughed again and rose to turn off the light. "Good night, Jennifer."

"Good night, Jai."

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Jai and Jennifer met Stu and Amy in the DPD bullpen, on their way to tech ops. "Auggie call you guys up here, too?" he asked.

"Yep, said Joan wants to talk to everyone," Stu said, walking behind the man, dragging Amy along behind him.

Auggie lifted his head as his door slid open, and he heard the shuffle of feet as everyone walked in. Annie sat beside him at his desk, and the rest stood on the other side, expectantly looking at him.

Pressing a button on his phone, a crackle came through the speakerphone. "Okay, Joan, we're all here. Please don't tell us that, just 'cause it's Monday, we need to work."

"Considering no one else is there, Auggie, I wouldn't dream of it. Entire federal government's taken a snow day, it seems. Main roads are clear, but they still want everyone to remain cautious of secondary roads," Joan said, her voice distant through the speakerphone.

"Have they opened the roads yet to traffic?" Annie asked.

"Traffic is allowed, yes," Joan replied. "Don't know if your little car can handle the roads, though. They're still a bit slick."

Annie rolled her eyes, while the rest of the group chuckled. Jai spoke up, "Joan, it's Jai. I've been thinking, my SUV can handle the snow. I could ferry everyone home."

Auggie's eyes widened at the man's statement. He reached over and gave Annie's hand a squeeze, hoping she'd been thinking the same thing. It seemed Jennifer's influence on Jai had made quite an impact.

"Are you sure, Jai?" Joan asked. "There's what, six of you there? That's five extra stops for you."

"Four," Auggie piped up. "My place is closer than Annie's. She can stay with me until the roads clear some more."

"Three," Stu corrected. "Amy's townhouse is closer than my apartment, and since we're –" His eyes bugged a bit as Amy pinched his arm. "I mean, if she'd be willing to let me bunk with her, it'd save a trip to my place."

All eyes in the room turned to Jai, as if expecting him to offer to put Jennifer up for a couple of days. He knew, though, that their burgeoning relationship, if he could call it that at this stage, wasn't quite at the sleepover point yet.  
>"Three extra stops then," Jai said quickly. "I'll drop you four off, then Jennifer, then head to my place. No problem."<p>

"Just be careful, Jai," Joan said. "I take it the weekend wasn't that much of a hardship for all of you?"

Eyes darted all around the room, with secret smiles and clasped hands among the three couples causing the tension to ramp up a few degrees. The silence spoke volumes over the phone, though, and the group heard Joan laugh. "I do hope you all acted appropriately."

Again, everyone avoided each other's eyes, and Amy had to bury her face in Stu's shoulder as a blush threatened to permanently stain her cheeks.

They all heard Joan sigh over the phone, though they could tell she wasn't all that annoyed with them. "At least tell me I won't be dealing with any maternity leave requests in nine months," she laughed.

"Oh, no," Amy replied, lifting her head from Stu's shoulder. "We used protection."

Stu hastily lifted his hand from her shoulder and clapped it over her mouth, but not before Auggie, Annie, Jai and Jennifer all turned to him, their mouths hanging open.

"I – umm – Joan, I mean, Director, please know that Amy and I were in a relationship prior to this weekend, and –"

"No need for apologies," Joan interrupted. "The less details I know, the better for everyone."

Stu sighed with relief, and as Amy wriggled in his grasp, he lowered his hand from her mouth. He had the urge to replace it with his lips, but, he figured, they'd be home soon, and if he had anything to do with it, he'd never spend another night at his place ever again.

"So, as soon as you're ready, go ahead and head home," Joan said. "Be careful, and I'll be in touch with all of you when we're able to get going again."

"Thanks, Joan," Auggie said, ending the call. "Guess it's a good thing we cleared off your car yesterday, Jai."

"Guess so," Jai said, nodding. "I've got plenty of room for everyone, so bring whatever you want to. Meet you all in the lobby in, let's say, two hours?"

At everyone's nod, he turned and opened the door, stepping aside to let Stu, Amy, and at last, Jennifer exit ahead of him.

Auggie stood up from his chair, stretching his arms above his head. "Guess we should pack up all our bedding," he said, rounding his desk and heading to the corner of the room.

Annie watched him, a playful smile on her lips. "You were, uhh, pretty quick with that offer to have my stay with you," she said. "No, I take that back. Since you told everyone I'd be staying with you, it was more of a mandate than an offer."

Considering they'd spent the past three nights wrapped in each other's arms, culminating in last night's heavy makeout session before they fell asleep, Auggie, personally, couldn't wait to get Annie in a more comfortable situation before they attempted to do so again. "Well," he teased, "if you really want Jai to drive all the way over to Georgetown on these snowy roads, by all means, go home."

"Nope," she said, joining him folding up the blankets. "But don't think for one minute I'm sleeping on your couch. My poor, injured body can't take sleeping on anything but a warm, soft bed for quite a while now."

"So you're saying I should take the couch?" Auggie asked, raising an eyebrow. "In my own apartment?"

"Well," Annie wheedled, placing her folded blanket on top of the stack he'd made of the others, "maybe I'd let you join me, but don't get the idea that we're going to, you know, without at least having dinner first. I'm not that easy."

Auggie's hands froze in his actions. Did she just say – yeah, he realized. She just did. A wolfish smile crossing his face, he grabbed her hand and all but dragged her out of tech ops.

"Auggie!" Annie half-shouted, half-laughed. "Where are you taking me?"

"To the canteen," he said matter-of-factly, "to have dinner."

Jennifer walked into the lounge and headed to "her" couch, shaking her head at the mess she made over the past three days. Maybe Jai should have given them more than two hours to get ready to leave, she thought with a laugh. She was searching under the couch cushions for anything of hers that might have fallen in between when Jai came in.

"Hey, anxious to get home?" he asked, watching with a smile at her frantic movements among the couch cushions.

"Ugh, just anxious to get some clean clothes, some real food, and something other than a couch to sleep on," Jennifer replied. "How about you?"

"About the same," Jai said, heading to his own couch to begin packing. "Guess I will be taking you home, after all," he teased. "Maybe you should have accepted my initial offer."

Jennifer smiled at him and began stuffing her accumulated belongings into her bag. "Then we wouldn't have had this weekend together," she said.

Jai shrugged, "I think the end result would still have been the same."

"That sure of yourself, huh?" she smirked.

"Well, like I said yesterday, when I see something I want, I generally go after it."

Jennifer didn't reply at first, only zipped up her bag and turned, taking a seat on the couch beside it. "Even when that 'it' still had a boyfriend at the time?"

"Well, I would have waited until you broke up first, of course," he said. "I'm nothing but a gentleman, of course."

"Most of the time, yes," Jennifer said, nodding. Then, thinking back to a few days before, she said, "I meant to thank you before, for staying with me Friday, and for taking care of me this weekend."

Jai shook his head, "It was nothing."

"No," Jennifer said emphatically. "It wasn't 'nothing.' You could have left, made it home before it got too bad out. But you didn't. You stayed with me, a stranger, for hours."

Jai shrugged again, but Jennifer wasn't letting this go. "Why, Jai?"

By her tone, Jai knew she was waiting for an answer, and he stopped his packing and turned to her. "Truth?"

She nodded.

"Because you intrigued me. Sure, I could have left, but at that moment, I didn't want to. And then, when it was obviously too late to leave at all, you just looked so broken, so sad, that I wanted nothing more than to find your idiot boyfriend and deck him for leaving you like that."

Jennifer sat stunned at his words, and Jai turned back to his packing. She stood and walked over to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she turned his face to her. His eyes looked perplexed, but she simply smiled and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered. "And if anyone says you aren't a gentleman, they'll answer to me."

Stu waited until the door shut to the a/v room behind him and Amy before he whipped her around in his arms and held her against the door, his hands on her shoulders. Before she could get out a question as to what he was doing, he kissed her soundly.

She longed to wrap her arms around his waist and pull him closer, but his grip on her upper arms left her hands flapping at her sides. Soon enough, he pulled away, and she took a breath. "What was that for?" she asked.

Stu only shook his head, placing his forehead against hers. "I can't believe you told Joan Campbell, the Director of the DPD, that we had sex down here."

Amy began giggling, and only stopped when Stu threatened to kiss her again. "I'm sorry, Stu."

Nodding his acceptance to her apology, though he knew she didn't really mean it, he released her. "Come on, we gotta make this place presentable again. I hope you're not this messy at home."

"Me?" Amy huffed. "You're going to be a guest in my house, so watch it, buddy. You may be sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Yeah, speaking of couches," Stu said, glancing over at the grey, slightly lumpy piece of furniture they'd called home for three days. "Maybe we should chip in and buy a new one for here."

"And take this one home?" Amy asked, threading her arm through his. "It does hold some memories for us."

"Yeah, that, and when word gets around at just what those 'memories' were, I doubt if anyone will ever want to sit on it again," Stu reminded her.

"You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?" she asked.

"Not for the rest of our lives," Stu said. "Come on, let's go home."

THE END


End file.
